Complaint about a healthcare provider

Healthcare providers are expected to have a complaints procedure and to respond to complaints. This letter puts your complaint on record and asks for a reply.

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1

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2

Who are you writing to?


3

About your letter


4

Email address

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What to look out for

  • Stay factual: describe what happened and when, without assumptions or insults.
  • Ask for a copy of the provider's complaints procedure so you know the timescales and the stages.
  • Complain reasonably promptly — most complaints procedures set a time limit for raising matters.
  • Not satisfied with the response? You can usually escalate to an independent ombudsman or to the provider's regulator. Ask, in writing, what the next stage is.
  • Always ask for a written response, so that you have a record.

FAQ

How quickly should I get a response?
That depends on the provider's complaints procedure, which normally sets out how quickly it will acknowledge and respond. This letter asks for a copy of that procedure.
Can I go to an outside body?
Usually yes, but you normally have to go through the provider's own complaints process first. This letter is that first step, and it asks what the next stage would be.

Other letters

Complaint about care: write and post a complaint letter