How to Complain About NHS Care (England)

Who to complain to

You have a choice, and it is worth making deliberately. Complaining to the provider is usually faster and more likely to produce an explanation from the people involved. Complaining to the commissioner suits situations where you do not want to deal with the provider directly.

The time limit, and when it can be relaxed

Twelve months from the event, or from when you first became aware of it, whichever is later. Late complaints can still be accepted where there is a good reason for the delay and it is still possible to investigate fairly — being unwell, or grieving, is a good reason and worth stating explicitly rather than leaving unsaid.

Say what you want to come of it

This is the part most complaints leave out, and it shapes the response more than anything else. Most people want an explanation, an acknowledgement, or a change in practice rather than money — and saying so makes the complaint easier to resolve well.

If the response does not resolve it

You can take the complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, which investigates NHS complaints in England and is free. It will normally expect the local process to have been completed first, and you generally need to approach it within 12 months of the final local response. Free independent advocacy is available to help you through the process.

NHS complaint

Edit this template with your facts, dates, and requested outcome before sending.

Subject: Formal complaint — [service], [date of care]

Dear [Complaints Manager],

I am making a formal complaint about care I received at [service/practice/ward] on [date]. [Include your NHS number or patient reference if you have it.]

[Set out what happened, in order, with dates. Say what was done, what was not done, and what you were told.]

The effect on me has been [practical and health impact, factually].

I would like [what you actually want — an explanation, an apology, a correction to your records, a change so it does not happen to someone else].

Please acknowledge this complaint and tell me who is handling it and when I can expect a response.

Kind regards,
[Your Name]

Copy this as a starting point and adapt it to your own facts and dates.

Common mistakes to avoid

• ✕Worrying that complaining will affect your care — it should not, and the process is separate from your treatment
• ✕Complaining to the provider and the commissioner simultaneously, which delays everything
• ✕Missing the 12-month limit while deciding whether to bother
• ✕Not saying what outcome you want, so the response is a defence rather than a resolution
• ✕Writing about how you were made to feel without setting out what happened and when
• ✕Not asking for a correction to your records where something recorded is factually wrong

Next steps

1. 1Decide whether to complain to the provider or the commissioner
2. 2Write a dated account of what happened, with your NHS number if you have it
3. 3State the outcome you want, explicitly
4. 4Send it and expect acknowledgement within 3 working days
5. 5If unresolved, consider the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman