The NHS complaints process

It is your right to have this complaint investigated and to be given a full and prompt written reply. The hospital should be able to tell you what its complaints procedure is.

You usually have to complain within six months of the problem occurring, or within six months of becoming aware of the problem. This may be extended if you were unable to complain at the time because you were too ill.

The first stage of the complaints process is to put your complaint to the hospital (or any individual NHS service which you have a complaint about). You should get an outcome letter (or progress report) within 25 working days; most complaints are resolved at this stage. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you can ask for an independent review; you need to do this within 28 days of receiving the outcome letter from your initial complaint. If your complaint is still not resolved after this stage, you can put your complaint to your health service ombudsman as a last resort (this is the second stage in Scotland). For help with making a complaint get in touch with your:

• Patient Advice and Liaison Service if you are in England;
• community health council if you are in Wales; or
• health and social services council if you are in Northern Ireland.

Most hospitals in England now have a Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS), which is intended to provide on-the-spot help and advice to patients and their families. If you have any concerns or problems during your stay in hospital, the Patient Advice and Liaison Service should be able to help you. Ask staff on the ward if there is a PALS in the hospital, and how you can contact it.

In Scotland, your local NHS board is responsible for dealing with complaints, but any member of staff at the hospital should be able to tell you how to make a complaint and who to complain to. Your local Citizens Advice Bureau should also be able to give you advice on complaining about the NHS.

For more information on making a complaint, see How to Make a Complaint.