How do I make a complaint about my medical treatment?

If you or a loved one received medical treatment that fell below the expected standard, you have the right to have your concerns investigated by writing a letter of complaint.

Why should I write a letter of complaint?

It is important as a patient to raise any concerns or complaints you may have about treatment you have received if you do not feel it was correct or of an adequate standard. It may also be useful to have gone through this process before seeking legal advice so that copies can be given to your lawyer.

A complaint should be made as soon as possible, certainly within 12 months of the incident occurring.

What should I include in the complaint?

Within your letter it is important to make it very clear what the complaint is about. It would be helpful to provide a brief chronology of the period of treatment you are complaining about and ask questions about your concerns that you have. It may also be helpful to ask for clarification of who was involved in your treatment and if you feel it would be useful, to request a copy of your medical records.

What can I expect from the response?

A response to a complaint can be helpful to not only you as the patient, but also for the lawyer when advising about a potential claim.

Within a complaint response you may receive an apology, an understanding of the treatment that was provided and why it was provided, a recognition that the treatment given was not of a reasonably competent standard or justification for the treatment that would be enough to advise if there is no medical negligence claim.

Kate Smith, a solicitor in the medical negligence team at Ashtons Legal comments: “When considering whether we are able to take a clinical negligence case on for further investigation, it is always helpful to have sight of the complaint and response. Having this at an early stage following the injury allows us to understand the hospital, GP or surgeon’s position and so that we can manage our client’s expectations about the potential claim. Most hospitals and GP practices have their own complaints handling service to deal with these.”

We Can Help You

If you believe we can assist you when pursuing a Medical Negligence claim, please get in contact with us on 0330 404 0777 or fill out our online enquiry form.