How to Make a Complaint to Your GP Surgery

We very much hope that you never have the need to make a complaint, however we all know that things don’t always go to plan. Please find below details of your right to complain and how to do so.
You have the right to make a complaint about any aspect of NHS care, treatment or service and this is firmly written into the NHS Constitution.

We encourage feedback as it’s useful to improve services. If you wish to share your views and experiences, positive or negative, simply speak with a member of staff. Often, many issues can be resolved by speaking with staff and it’s often worthwhile discussing your concerns early on in order to avoid an official complaint.

Everyone who provides an NHS service in England has their own complaints procedure.
You will often find information in waiting rooms, at reception, on the service provider’s website, or by asking a member of staff.

How to give feedback or make a complaint about NHS Services

For help making a complaint or to provide feedback, please see information at the link here:

NHS England » Feedback and complaints about NHS services

There are two ways you can complain about NHS services:

•  Directly with the NHS service provider (e.g. your GP surgery) Please access our Practice complaints form here: Complaint Form, or
•  Directly to the Commissioner of the service (e.g. South West London Integrated Care Board (SWLICB)):
• Telephone: 0800 026 6082
• Email:  contactus@swlondon.nhs.uk
• Postal address: NHS South West London, 120 the Broadway, Wimbledon, London SW19 1RH 

You cannot complain to both.

Once your complaint has been received, the Practice must carry out a full investigation and provide you with a full written response. The response should set out the findings and, where appropriate, provide apologies and information about what’s being done as a result of your complaint.

If you are unhappy with the local resolution from either your GP surgery, or the Commissioner, you can complain to the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman (PHSO) NHS complaints in England.

Things to remember:

• Complaints should be made within 12 months of an incident or of the matter coming to your attention. This time limit can only be extended provided you have good reasons for not making the complaint sooner and it’s possible to complete a fair investigation.
• If you’re complaining on behalf of someone else, include their written consent with your letter as this will speed up the process.
• You should expect an acknowledgement of your complaint within 3 working days of receiving your complaint.There’s no set timeframe within which a full response must be sent, and this will depend on the nature and complexity of your complaint.