If you’ve had a bad experience with your doctor, you make be wondering how to complain about a GP. Common reasons to file a complaint against your GP could include:
In this guide, we’ll walk you through every step of the complaints process. Ffrom gathering evidence and submitting a formal complaint to escalating your concerns to organisations like NHS England or the Health Service Ombudsman. We’ll also explore how solicitors, such our experienced team at TBI Solicitors, can provide guidance and support throughout the process, especially if your case involves medical negligence.
Whether you’re looking for an apology, an investigation, or seeking compensation for harm caused, this article will help you navigate the system effectively to achieve the outcome you deserve.
You may need to complain about a GP for various reasons, including poor care, unsatisfactory treatment, or a service that's below a reasonable standard of care. Addressing concerns about incorrect or delayed diagnoses and treatment or poor explanations of options are some of the reasons people make complaints about their GPs, which can help to improve the overall quality of care they provide and bring about some of the following outcomes:
Filing a complaint holds GPs accountable for their actions and can result in investigations that ensure GPs adhere to professional standards and patient safety.
By raising complaints about serious mistakes in medical procedures, failing to examine patients properly, or breaches of confidentiality, patients can contribute to the enhancement of safety within healthcare settings.
Feeding back a complaint can drive greater improvements in clinical practice, communication, and patient care, which benefits current and future patients.
Complaints can serve as a basis for seeking legal recourse in cases of misconduct or negligent treatment for patients who have suffered harm.
When making a complaint about a GP, initiate contact by discussing your concerns with either the GP or the practice manager verbally or in writing. If this issue remains unresolved, you can proceed to make a formal complaint to the practice.
When making a formal complaint, obtain the complaints procedure from the GP practice, which is usually available at the surgery or via their website, and clearly state that you are making a formal complaint and request an investigation. You will need to provide a detailed account of what happened, focusing on key points and dates, and request an investigation and written response within a reasonable period, which is typically around five weeks.
You should expect an acknowledgement of your complaint from the surgery within three working days, which may be a detailed written reply or you could be invited to a meeting to discuss the complaint.
When you are gathering evidence before making a complaint about a GP in the UK, you need to do the following:
You need to record details of what happened, including dates, times, and specific incidents that led to your concerns. You should keep a log or journal of any interactions, symptoms, treatments received, and any outcomes that you believe were unsatisfactory.
You should gather as much relevant documentation as necessary. These could include medical records, test results, appointment cards, and any correspondence with the GP practice. You are legally entitled to request copies of your medical records from the GP practice so you can have a comprehensive understanding of your care.
If applicable, you should obtain witness statements from individuals who observed any of the events or interactions. Witness statements are important because they can provide additional perspectives on the situation, which can help to support your account of the events.
Keep copies of any notes, letters, emails, or texts exchanged with the GP practice regarding any concerns or complaints. Document these responses from the practice so you can track the progress of your complaint.
It may be worth consulting with a solicitor for guidance on gathering evidence and assessing the viability of a claim, while also helping you understand the relevance of collecting evidence so you can support your complaint effectively and if there is potential legal action.
When writing a formal letter, it is important to state the facts and ensure you follow a structured approach to guarantee clarity and effectiveness. When writing a formal letter of complaint:
When seeking legal support for a complaint about a GP and if you have already gone through the initial stages of raising your concerns with the GP or practice manager, you need to obtain the formal complaints procedure from the GP practice. Requesting an investigation and written response within a reasonable time period, which is typically around five weeks.
However, if you feel your complaint is not being adequately addressed by the practice or NHS England, you can now seek assistance from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman for an independent review.
Our team of personal law solicitors can provide valuable assistance when you are making a complaint about a GP:
If the issue has been unresolved when you've raised your concerns directly with the GP or practice, you first contact the NHS in your region if you are uncomfortable complaining directly to your GP surgery, or you can complain to your local Integrated Care Board (ICB) if the GP practice refuses treatment or asks you to leave.
If you're unhappy with the final response from the GP, you can escalate your complaint to the Health Service Ombudsman for independent review, but ensure you have received a final response from the GP practice before contacting the Ombudsman.
When making your complaint to the ombudsman, be clear by detailing what happened, when it occurred, and how it has affected you, while clearly stating what you would like to achieve, whether it is an apology, corrective action, or another resolution. The complaint should generally be made within 12 months of the incident or as soon as you become aware of the issue.
If you have already gone through the process of complaining directly to the GP and then progressed to NHS England, as well as the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman for an independent review, you can also contact the General Medical Council (GMC) to raise concerns about a doctor's fitness to practise. If the complaint involves negligence or serious issues that require legal intervention, you should consider seeking legal advice.
A reasonable timeframe for a response from a local GP is 5 weeks. If you have escalated your complaint to the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman for independent review, who aims to respond to complaints promptly and efficiently, striving to quickly identify significant service failings, and only looks further into more serious complaints about the NHS.
It is advisable to file a complaint with the ombudsman as soon as possible if you're dissatisfied with the final response from the GP, ensuring it is within 12 months of the incident or as soon as you were first aware of the issue.
Effectively addressing your concerns about a GP is essential, and working towards a resolution is not just to help create a fair outcome for you, but can be invaluable in helping the practice right their wrongs and deliver better care to everybody.
If you’re looking for further guidance on filing a complaint against your GP, or to pursue a medical negligence claim, the TBI personal legal team can help. Our staff have decades of experience in helping people win cases and claim compensation. Please get in touch with one of our offices today, so we can start to help you:
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