Making a complaint about your care

People who have a stroke sometimes experience problems with their care. The National Clinical Guideline for Stroke outlines what good stroke care should look like. If you do not feel you have received the right standard of care, or feel that you have been treated unfairly, you can make a complaint.

Anyone can complain, including young people, a family member, a carer, or friend on your behalf with your permission.

This page outlines the different places you can contact to make a complaint about your care and the support available to you in that process.

England
Wales
Northern Ireland
Scotland

England

How to make a complaint

Make a complaint directly

  • If you're not happy with a service, you can make a complaint. You should complain to the person or organisation providing the service first, such as the GP, dentist, hospital or pharmacist.

  • You can also complain to the commissioner of that service, either NHS England, or the local Integrated Care Board (ICB).

  • In general, NHS England commissions most primary care services, such as GP and dental services. ICBs oversee the commissioning of secondary care, such as hospital care and some community services.

  • If you have had a final response from NHS England, and you feel like your issue still hasn't been resolved, you can ask the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to look into your complaint. More information available on their website.

  • You should make your complaint within 12 months of the incident, or within 12 months of the matter coming to your attention. This time limit can sometimes be extended as long as it is still possible to investigate your complaint.

Support to complain

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

  • PALS offers confidential advice, support and information on health-related matters.

  • You can find PALS officers in your local hospital.

  • You can also ask your GP surgery, hospital or phone NHS 111 for details of your nearest PALS.

PALS provides help in many ways. For example, it can:

  • Help you with health-related questions.

  • Help resolve concerns or problems when you're using the NHS.

  • Tell you how to get more involved in your own healthcare decision-making.

PALS can give you information about:

  • The NHS complaints procedure, including how to get independent help if you want to make a complaint.

  • Support groups outside of the NHS.

Voiceability / NHS complaints

  • NHS complaints provides advocates who support people to complain about the treatment or care that they or a family or friend has received from an NHS service.

  • More information on their website, available here.

Healthwatch

  • Healthwatch help with complaints about health and they can provide information about what to do when things go wrong.

  • Find your local Healthwatch here.

Care Quality Commission (CQC)

  • The CQC is an independent organisation and is not run by the NHS. They can inspect health services and make them improve, although they're not able to help directly with your problems or concerns.

  • You can also tell the CQC about concerns regarding any care or health service.

  • Visit their website for more information.

Contact your elected representatives - this includes your MP, local councilors, and assembly members.

  • Visit WriteToThem and follow the website and choose who you would like to write to about your situation.

Wales

How to make a complaint

Putting Things Right - NHS Wales complaints and concerns.

  • Contact the health board or trust's complaints team - find your local one here.

Once you have raised your concern, the complaints team:

  • Will listen to your concerns to try to resolve them as quickly as possible.

  • Will look into your concerns and speak to the staff involved in your care or treatment.

  • May offer a meeting to discuss your concerns.

  • Will put you in contact with the right person to help you.

  • Will let you know what they have found and what they are going to do about it.

  • The complaints team should respond to you within 30 working days of receiving your concern. If they cannot reply to you in that time, they will explain why and let you know when to expect a response. Some concerns may take longer to look into.

  • If you are not satisfied with the health board or trust's response, you can contact the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales.

Support to complain

Contact your elected representatives - this includes your MS, MP and local councilors.

  • Visit WriteToThem and follow the website and choose who you would like to write to about your situation.
  • The Duty of Candour is a legal requirement for NHS Organisations in Wales to be open and honest with service users receiving care and treatment. It applies if the care provided has, or may have contributed to unexpected or unintended moderate or severe harm, or death. This duty builds on the Putting Things Right process for raising concerns or complaints. You do not need to contact anyone about the Duty of Candour. You will be contacted if the Duty of Candour applies to your care and treatment. You should continue to use the Putting Things Right process for raising concerns or complaints. For more information on your rights please see https://phw.nhs.wales/about-us/the-duty-of-candour/a-service-user-guide-to-the-duty-of-candour/

Northern Ireland

How to make a complaint

  • You should complain to the person or organisation providing the service first, such as the GP, dentist, hospital or pharmacist.

  • Responsibility for dealing with complaints about health and social care services in Northern Ireland is placed with the provider of the service i.e. the local trust where you received your care. Contact details for each trust and health and social care provider can be found here.

  • You can raise concerns or a complaint via face to face, phone, letter or email.

  • If you are not happy with the final decision of the provider organisation, you can refer your complaint to the Public Services Ombudsman's Office.

Support with your complaint

Patient and Client Council (PCC)

  • PCC offer a freephone service to support the public with questions, concerns or complaints they may have about their health and social care services.

  • Information here.

Contact your elected representatives- this includes your MLA, MP and local councilors.

  • Visit WriteToThem and follow the website and choose who you would like to write to about your situation.

Scotland

How to make a complaint

To complain, you must:

  • Have had or be having NHS care or treatment.

  • Have visited or used NHS services or facilities.

  • Have been affected, or be likely to be affected, by something that NHS staff have or haven't done.

Support with your complaint

Patient Advice and Support Service

The Patient Advice and Support Service (PASS) is an independent service, which provides free, accessible and confidential advice and support to patients, their carers and their families about NHS healthcare.

PASS will:

  • Help you understand your rights and responsibilities as a patient.

  • Provide information, advice and support for anyone who wants to give feedback or comments, or raise concerns or complaints, about healthcare delivered by NHS Scotland.

  • Provide practical help with making a complaint, including writing letters, making phone calls and supporting you to prepare for and attend meetings.

  • Work with the NHS by using feedback to improve your healthcare and NHS provision.

  • You can call PASS for advice and support on 0800 917 2127. Lines are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. You can find more information about PASS on its website.

Contact your elected representatives - This includes your MSPs, MP or local councilors.

  • Visit WriteToThem and follow the website and choose who you would like to write to about your situation.

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