How to complain about a GP practice

You have the right to complain about any part of NHS care, and every GP practice must have its own complaints procedure. You complain either to the practice or to your integrated care board (ICB), not both. If you are still unhappy at the end, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman can look at it. Free, independent help is there at every stage.

Talking to the practice first

NHS England says it is often worth raising a concern with the practice early, as it may be able to sort it out quickly, and most problems can be dealt with at that stage. You can also give feedback without making a complaint: the Friends and Family Test, available at GP practices, is a quick and anonymous way to do it. If the problem is that you cannot get an appointment, the NHS website suggests contacting the practice directly; its complaints process and management team are usually on its website.

Who to complain to

You can complain to one of these, but not to both:

• The practice. Every practice must have a complaints procedure. You can often find it in the waiting room, at reception or on the practice’s website, or you can ask a member of staff.
• Your integrated care board (ICB). The ICB is the commissioner, the body that pays for the GP services you use. NHS England says to contact it for complaints about GPs if you would rather not complain to the practice. Every ICB has its own complaints procedure, often on its website. Use Find your local integrated care board on the NHS website, or ask your practice how to contact your ICB. ICBs replaced clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) from 1 July 2022.

If your complaint involves more than one organisation, for example your GP practice and a hospital, they must work together to give you one co-ordinated response.

Making the complaint

• Time limit. Complain within 12 months of what happened, or of when you found out about it. The limit can be extended if you have good reasons for not complaining sooner and a fair investigation is still possible. The complaints manager decides this with you.
• Spoken, written or by email. All three are accepted. If you complain in person or by phone, the complaint is written down and you get a copy.
• For someone else. Include their written consent if you write, as it speeds things up. If they cannot give consent, for example because they have died, lack mental capacity or are a child who cannot complain for themselves, you may be able to complain for them.

What happens next

You should get an acknowledgement, and the offer of a discussion about how your complaint will be handled, within 3 working days. That discussion should cover when you are likely to get a reply. There is no fixed time for the reply itself, as it depends on the complaint, but you should be told if it is delayed.

The final reply is in writing. It should set out what was found, give an apology where one is due, say what is being done as a result, explain how your complaint was handled, and tell you about your right to take it to the ombudsman.

If you are not happy with the outcome

When you have reached the end of the complaints process and are not happy with the final decision, you have the right to ask the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to look at it. The ombudsman is independent of the NHS and makes final decisions on unresolved complaints about the NHS in England. It is the last stage, so the practice or ICB process comes first. Its helpline is 0345 015 4033.

Free help with a complaint

• An NHS complaints advocate can help you write a complaint letter and come to meetings with you, free, at any stage. An advocate cannot make the complaint for you or give medical or legal advice. To find one, search for “NHS complaints advocacy” and your area, or ask your local Healthwatch.
• Healthwatch is an independent statutory body. It works as Healthwatch England nationally and through local Healthwatch organisations. It can help you make a complaint about NHS services and tell you about local services.
• Citizens Advice is one of the places the NHS website suggests if you have problems registering with a practice.

Complaints and this site

Practice Grade is independent of the NHS and cannot take up a complaint about a practice. Complaints do not change a practice’s result here, because the grade comes from the GP Patient Survey and NHS appointment and phone data. See how the rating works. If you think a figure on this site is wrong, email hej@vardbetyg.se.

This guide explains who to contact. It is not legal advice. For help with your own case, an NHS complaints advocate or your local Healthwatch is the place to start.