How to complain about your GP — the NHS process in plain English

Before you start

Do two things first:

• Request your full medical record — under UK GDPR, free of charge. Your complaint is far stronger when you can quote what was (and wasn't) written down. See our medical records guide.
• Decide what outcome you want. An apology? A change in process? A referral that was refused? A correction to your record? Compensation? Write it down before you write the complaint — it shapes everything else.

Also know what a complaint isn't. It is not a clinical negligence claim (that's a court process, see our duty-of-care guide). It is not a GMC referral (that's for doctors unfit to practise). It is the everyday NHS process for getting a failing acknowledged, fixed, and on the record.

Where should I send my complaint?

You have a choice in England:

• The practice — fastest, most likely to fix the immediate issue, and best when you want to preserve the relationship.
• The local ICB (Integrated Care Board) — useful when you no longer trust the practice to investigate itself, or the complaint is about the practice manager. Find yours on nhs.uk.

You cannot send the same complaint to both at once — pick one. If the first response doesn't resolve it, you escalate to the PHSO, not the other body.

Stage 1: complain to the practice

By law (the NHS Complaints Regulations 2009) every practice must have a designated "Responsible Person" for complaints — usually the practice manager. You should:

• Address your letter or email to the practice manager, not the GP.
• Use the words "formal complaint under the NHS complaints procedure".
• Send it within 12 months of the incident.
• Keep a copy and the date sent.

The practice must acknowledge within 3 working days and give a full written response within a reasonable timeframe — usually 6 months at the absolute outside, more often 20–40 working days. The response should explain what happened, whether anything went wrong, and what they're doing about it.

If the practice tries to handle it informally over the phone, politely insist on a written response. A verbal "sorry about that" is not a Stage 1 response and doesn't reset the clock for the PHSO.

What to include in your complaint letter

• Your full name, date of birth, and NHS number.
• The date(s) of the appointments you're complaining about.
• The name(s) of the clinicians you saw.
• A factual, dated narrative — what you said, what they said, what was or wasn't done.
• The specific NICE guideline or GMC standard you believe was not followed (if relevant).
• The outcome you want.
• A clear request for a written response.

Keep it factual. Strip out anger and accusations — they don't help. The practice is far more likely to admit a failing in writing if the letter reads like a record of facts rather than a personal attack.

Complaint letter template (one page)

You can adapt this skeleton:

• To: The Practice Manager, [Practice name and address].
• Date: [Today].
• Subject: Formal complaint under the NHS complaints procedure — [your name, DOB, NHS number].
• Paragraph 1: "I am writing to make a formal complaint about the care I received on [date] from [clinician]."
• Paragraph 2 (the facts): Dated narrative. Stick to what was said and done, by whom.
• Paragraph 3 (the standard not met): "I believe this falls below [NICE guideline / GMC standard]."
• Paragraph 4 (the outcome): "The outcome I would like is [apology / referral / record correction / explanation]. Please respond in writing within 20 working days."

Stage 2: escalate to the PHSO

If the practice's response is inadequate, dismissive, or simply wrong on the facts, you can ask the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to investigate. You must do this within 12 months of the practice's final response.

The PHSO will ask for: your original complaint, the practice's response, your relevant medical records, and a clear statement of what outcome you want. Investigations typically take 6 to 12 months. The PHSO can recommend the practice apologises, changes its processes, or pays a financial remedy (typically up to a few thousand pounds for distress and inconvenience).

The PHSO accepts roughly 1 in 4 cases for full investigation, but where they do investigate, they uphold the complaint (fully or partly) in around 65–75% of cases — so a strong, evidence-led Stage 1 letter is worth the effort.

What outcomes you can ask for

• A written apology.
• A formal acknowledgement of what went wrong.
• A specific referral, test, or treatment that was refused.
• An entry corrected or annotated in your medical record.
• A change in practice policy (e.g. always offering chaperones for certain examinations).
• A financial remedy for distress, inconvenience, or out-of-pocket expenses.

A clinical negligence claim — for compensation for actual harm caused — is a separate legal process. See our duty-of-care guide for when that's the right route.

Getting free, independent help

You don't have to write the complaint alone. In every region of England, an independent NHS Complaints Advocacy service will help you for free:

• Draft the letter and check your evidence.
• Attend meetings with the practice with you.
• Help you escalate to the PHSO if needed.

Find your local service via nhs.uk. The charity AvMA also runs a free advice line for complaints involving possible harm.

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

• Wales — "Putting Things Right" process; advocacy from Llais; ombudsman is the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales.
• Scotland — complaint to the practice, advocacy from PASS, ombudsman is the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.
• Northern Ireland — complaint to the practice, advocacy from the Patient and Client Council, ombudsman is the NI Public Services Ombudsman.

The principles are the same: write to the practice first, keep it factual, escalate to the ombudsman if needed.

Glossary

Frequently asked questions