How to make a complaint to the NHS about primary care services (GP, pharmacy, dentist, optician)
You have the right to complain about any aspect of NHS care, treatment or service, which is written into the NHS Constitution on GOV.UK.
How to make an NHS complaint
There are two ways you can make a complaint:
- You can complain to the healthcare provider: this is the organisation where you received the NHS service, for example, a GP surgery or dental surgery
- You can complain to the service commissioner: this is the organisation that paid for the service or care you received.
In the event of a complaint about more than one organisation. For example, in a complaint that includes issues about your GP, local hospital and ambulance service, the organisations must cooperate with each other to make sure you get a coordinated response.
If you have a complaint about any primary care service, it is usually best to approach the person in charge of providing the service, for example, the Practice Manager at your GP surgery. They may be able to deal with your complaint quickly and easily and help you to feel happier about the service being provided to you or someone you care about. Each service should have their own complaints policy and procedure which you can request a copy of.
If you do not feel able to submit your complaint yourself, you can ask for advocacy support from POhWER. Advocacy is supporting people to say what they want. The Independent Complaints Advocacy Service offers practical support and information to people who want to make a complaint about a service funded by the National Health Service (NHS). This includes General Practitioners (GPs), hospitals, opticians, pharmacies, dentists, ambulance and community health services.
From April 1 2024 there will be a new organisation providing NHS Complaints Advocacy in Calderdale. The contact details are: POhWER; Email nhscomplaints@pohwer.net; Tel 03004562370
If you have tried to resolve your complaint at local level and this has failed, or if you feel unable to complain directly to the service provider yourself, you can register an official complaint with the commissioner, the West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board
The contact details for the commissioner are email: wyicb.complaints@nhs.net / telephone: 01924 552 150 / in writing: Complaints Team, West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, White Rose House West Parade, Wakefield WF1 1LT.
Complaining about Hospital, Community Care and Mental Health Services
If you have a complaint about any hospital or community care service, it is often helpful to speak to the person in charge, for example the Manager, the Matron, the Ward Sister or Therapist. They will listen to your concerns and may be able to look into what has happened without the need for you to make a complaint.
If you cannot resolve your complaint informally, you can make a formal complaint via the following contacts:
To complain to Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust
Write to: Patient Advice and Complaints Service, Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, Acre Street, Lindley, Huddersfield HD3 3EA
Tel: 0800 013 0018
E-mail: patientadvice@cht.nhs.uk
To complain to Locala
A wide range of Community Health Services are delivered by Locala. INDICATE WHICH SERVICES ARE PROVIDED BY LOCALA IN CALDERDALE.
Write to: Freepost Plus RSCJ-LHSU-SEGH, Customer Liaison Team, Locala Community Partnerships CIC, First Floor, Beckside Court, Bradford Road, Batley WF17 5PW
Tel: 01924 351531
E-mail: enquiry@locala.org.uk
Visit their website: Locala – tell us what you think
To complain to South West Yorkshire NHS Partnership Foundation Trust
A wide range of Mental Health Services are delivered by South West Yorkshire NHS Partnership Foundation Trust (SWFT), including inpatient care, community mental health services, intensive home based treatment, Admiral Nurses and much more.
Write to: Customer Services, South West Yorkshire NHS Partnership Foundation Trust, Block 10, Fieldhead, Ouchthorpe Lane, Wakefield, WF1 3SP
Tel: 0800 5872108
E-mail: customer.servicesSWYT@nhs.net
Read the Customer Services leaflet here
Complaining about Social Care Services
If you have a complaint about any social care service, it is usually best to approach the person in charge of providing the service, for example, the owner or manager of the care home which you are making the complaint about. They may be able to deal with your complaint quickly and easily and help you to feel happier about the service being provided to you or someone you care about.
Comments, compliments and complaints about adult social care services
If you do not want to complain directly to the service provider you can contact Calderdale Council Customer Services Manager:
INSERT DETAILS
Comments, compliments and complaints about children’s social care services
INSERT DETAILS
Ombudsman services
If you have made a formal complaint but are unhappy with the response, you can ask the Ombudsman to look into your complaint further.
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman – the Ombudsman for all health service related complaints.
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, Millbank Tower, London SW1P 4QP
Tel: 0345 015 4033
Minicom: 0300 061 4298 (Calls to these numbers cost the same as a call to a UK landline)8:30am – 5:30pm Monday – Friday
Request a call back – Text ‘call back’ with your name and your mobile number to 07624 813 005 to receive a call back within one working day during office hours.
www.ombudsman.org.uk
Local Government Ombudsman – for complaints about councils, all adult social care providers (including care homes and home care agencies) and some other organisations providing local public services.
For help with making a complaint please call on 0300 061 0614. (Calls to 03 numbers will cost no more than calls to national geographic numbers (starting 01 or 02) from both mobiles and landlines, and will be included as part of any inclusive call minutes or discount schemes in the same way as geographic calls. Please note that calls may be recorded for training and quality purposes.)
The lines are open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5.00pm.
You can visit their website at www.lgo.org.uk or use the complaint form.
Alternatively, you can write to:
The Local Government Ombudsman, PO Box 4771, Coventry CV4 0EH
You can also text ‘call back’ to 0762 480 3014. And you can contact using a textphone via the Text Relay service (formerly Typetalk).
Alternative ways and places to give feedback
Healthwatch
Leave a review on your local Healthwatch website. You can do this anonymously and providers can leave a response Healthwatch Kirklees
NHS website
You can make general comments about any NHS service on the NHS website. You can also use this site to find information on health conditions and to find local services.
Care Opinion
You can comment on social care and health services on this website Care Opinion
Care Quality Commission
The Care Quality Commission make sure hospitals, care homes, dental and GP surgeries, and all other care services in England provide people with safe, effective, compassionate and high-quality care, and encourage them to make improvements.
Care Quality Commission, CQC National Correspondence, PO Box 1258, Newcastle upon Tyne NE99 5AU
03000 616161
enquiries@cqc.org.uk
You can share your experience on the CQC website.
General Medical Council
The General Medical Council (GMC) deals with the most serious complaints about doctors. These are complaints that might require a doctor’s registration to be restricted or removed to protect patients and uphold public confidence in the medical profession. They are one of a number of organisations responsible for considering patients’ concerns and, depending on the circumstances, it may be more appropriate for you to raise your concerns with another one of these organisations first.
Tel: 0161 923 6602
General Dental Council
The General Dental Council set and maintain standards in UK dentistry. Your dental professional must be registered and must continue to meet expectations throughout their careers. The General Dental Council can take action if they do not.
Tel: 0845 222 4141 or 020 7887 3800
Additional info:
- If you need support to make a complaint, you can request this from your local Independent NHS Complaints Advocacy Service
- For further information on making a complaint from the NHS please click here