Other ways of complaining

In addition to the NHS complaints procedure you can complain to several other bodies.

Professional conduct complaints

You can make a complaint about an individual health professional. If you want to complain about a doctor you can do this through the doctor's professional organisation, theGeneral Medical Council (GMC)[www]

The GMC has the legal power to investigate all doctors working in the UK. They can take action if they find that:

  • The doctor is guilty of 'serious professional misconduct' - where the doctor's behaviour is not of the standard expected from someone in a position of trust
  • The doctor has been convicted of a criminal offence
  • The doctor's performance is 'seriously deficient' - where the doctor's performance is not of the standard expected
  • The doctor is ill and it is affecting his/her ability to practice medicine

The GMC can take a range of action, such as warning a doctor or forcing the doctor to take additional training. They can restrict a doctor to working with supervision and in very serious cases they can prevent a doctor from working.

Complaints about use of the Mental Health Act

If you want to complain about the way a person with a responsibility under the Mental Health Act has carried out their duties or if you want to complain about something that has happened to you in hospital and you are not satisfied by the response of the hospital's complaints officer you can contact the Mental Health Act Commission[www]

The Mental Health Act Commission protects the rights of people detained under the Mental Health Act. You can write or call the Commission, or you can ask to speak to a commissioner when the Commission visits the hospital.

Complaints to social services

The procedure for complaining about the social services department is similar but separate from the NHS procedure. There are three stages:

  1. Local resolution
  2. Independent Review 
  3. Local Authority Ombudsman

There is one major difference though, in that only people who the social services department is aware of and who have a right to a service can make a complaint.

When a complaint involves both the NHS and social services, you should send the complaint to both services. At the local resolution stage it will be investigated by them separately. However, at the independent review stage which parts of the complaint should be investigated by the NHS and which by the local social services department should be decided. Community care services are often provided by both the NHS and the social services departments. If you have a complaint like this, you may want to get advice.