If you have experienced or seen poor care from a health care service, you have a right to complain to the organisation that provided or paid for the care.
By law, all health and social care services must have a procedure for dealing efficiently with complaints.
How to complain
In the first instance, you should contact the service provider.
All health and social care service providers must have a complaints procedure that you can ask to see. This will tell you how to make a complaint.
If your complaint is about NHS services and you are not comfortable contacting the provider, see NHS England's information about complaining to the organisation that paid for your care.
Your local Healthwatch can direct you to help complaining about NHS services.
- Resources to help you make a complaint (Healthwatch)
- Information about complaining to NHS services (NHS.uk)
- Raising concerns about a service you work for
If you think a crime has been committed or someone is in danger, contact the police.
Tell us
You should also tell us about the poor care that you have seen or experienced.
Although we are not able to take forward complaints on your behalf, information given to us helps protect others from going through the same experience.
If you are not satisfied
If you have complained to the care provider and you are unhappy with their response, the next step depends on the type of service and how your care is funded.
Complaints about the NHS
This includes care funded by the NHS and delivered by private providers.
Contact the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
Complaints about private healthcare (not including dental or eye care)
Contact the Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service.
Complaints about private dental services
Contact the Dental Complaints Service.
Complaints about private eye care
Report an unregistered service
Tell us if you think somebody is providing health or adult social care services without being registered with us.