Website of the Department of Health

Reform of health and social care complaints: Proposed changes to the legislative framework

The complaints arrangements for health and social care are being reformed. Successive reports have found that some complaints take too long to resolve and services do not systematically try to learn from the important feedback that complaints offer. In addition, there is strong evidence that some people do not complain because they either do not know how to or believe doing so will not result in any action.

From 1 April 2009, a single complaints system will cover all health and adult social care services in England. The new arrangements will encourage an approach that aims to resolve complaints more effectively and ensure that opportunities for services to learn and improve are not lost.

There has been ongoing consultation about these plans since the launch of the 'Making Experiences Count' consultation in June 2007.

The document 'Reform of health and social care complaints: Proposed changes to the legislative framework' provides more details about the legislative framework that will be introduce to support these reforms.

People can feedback their views, either by using a response form at the back of the document or by attending one of a number of regional events.

This document should be read in conjunction with the consultation document ‘Making Experiences Count, published in June 2007, and the Department’s response to that consultation, published in February 2008.

Draft regulations are expected to be published in January 2009.

• Download consultation document (PDF, 315K)
• Download feedback form (RTF, 120K)
• Download further information on the feedback events to be held in December 2008 (PDF, 19K)
• Making experiences count: the proposed new arrangements for handling health and social care complaints - response to consultation