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NHS complaints procedure
Legislation and guidance relating to the new NHS complaints procedure. The previous legislation and guidance is available as a historical record. There is also information on how to complain for members of the public as well as on the process of reform and training for NHS staff.
How to complain about the NHS
The Department of Health does not investigate individual complaints - these must be pursued using the NHS complaints procedure.
Current legislation
Information on the NHS and adult social care complaints regulations, which have been revised with effect from 1 April 2009, following the White Paper commitment to develop a single comprehensive complaints procedure across health and social care by 2009.
Guidance to help improve complaints handling
The guide Listening, responding, improving: a guide to better customer care has been developed to help complaints professionals work with colleagues to make their organisations better at listening, responding and learning from people’s experiences.
Additional advice sheets for complaints professionals have also been produced covering: investigating complaints, joint complaints that involve more than one organisation and dealing with serious complaints that have safety implications.
Previous legislation and guidance on the complaints procedure
Previous legislation and guidance on the complaints procedure documents on NHS complaints policy published since its introduction in April 1996.
Reforming the NHS complaints procedure
Background information, including links to all the relevant documents, on the process of reform to date.
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