How to make a formal complaint
Find out who to contact if you’re unhappy with any health or social care service.
Healthwatch Birmingham does not provide a formal complaints process – the information below has more details on who you need to report concerns and complain to about relevant issues.
Information if you need support understanding the complaints process and how to make a complaint about health or social care services.
How to raise concerns or make a complaint against a GP
A quick guide to making a complaint against a GP.
PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Services) can help with issues around your or a loved one’s care and give you the details you need to make a complaint. Most hospitals have a PALS office you can visit in person or you can telephone or email PALS at the NHS Trust you want information about.
NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (NHS BSOL)
NHS BSOL is responsible for planning and buying (commissioning) health services for people living in Birmingham and Solihull. They commission services from local hospitals, GP practices and other healthcare providers. They have a responsibility to ensure your complaint is investigated thoroughly, where the person affected by the issue is a patient at one of their GP practices in Birmingham and Solihull.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and social care in England. The monitor, regulate and inspect health and social care services to make sure they meet the quality and safety needs of people.
You can read their guide to making a complaint about a health or social care service.
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman make final decisions on complaints that have not been resolved by the NHS in England, government departments and other UK public organisations.
Find out how they deal with complaints and how they can help you
The General Medical Council helps to protect patients and improve medical education and practice in the UK by setting standards for students and doctors. They should be contacted only if you have serious concerns about a medical professional’s fitness to practice, rather than the level of service or treatment you receive.
Find out how to raise a concern about a doctor.
General Optical Council is the regulator of Opticians in UK and as such has regulatory powers to issue warnings, suspension or remove Opticians from the register.
Find out how to complain about an optician.
The General Dental Council regulates dental professionals in the UK, maintaining standards for the benefit of patients.
Find out how to complain about a dentist.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council regulates nurses and midwives in the UK so that nurses and midwives can deliver high quality healthcare throughout their careers.
Find out how to raise a concern about a nurse or midwife.
General Pharmaceutical Council
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) is the independent regulator for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy premises in Great Britain.
Find out how to make a complaint about a pharmacist.
If you need help understanding the right organisation to support you please contact us by email on info@healthwatchbirmingham.co.uk or call (freephone) 0800 652 5278