Healthcare complaints
inform you what
happened during
any procdure"
Phil Barnes, Associate
If you think a doctor or other healthcare professional is guilty of professional misconduct you can complain to their professional or regulatory body.
You can find out how to report a healthcare professional on the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence website (see below for further details).
Examples of professional misconduct include:
- a breach of patient confidentiality
- a practitioner claiming they are competent to practice but are not
- a practitioner who has a sexual relationship with a patient
- a practitioner who manipulates patient records
The regulatory body to which healthcare complaints should be made depends on the nature of the treatment or work carried out by the healthcare professional.
For example, a complaint about a doctor should be made to the General Medical Council, and if it is about a nurse or midwife it should go to the Nursing and Midwifery Council. General guidance can be obtained from the General Medical Council, and we have included some useful links at the foot of this page.
The purpose of the professional regulators is to protect and promote the safety of the public. They do this by setting recognised standards of behaviour, education and ethics, which doctors and other healthcare professionals must meet.
The professional regulators register health professionals who are fit to practice in the UK, and they can remove a healthcare professional from the register and stop them practising if they believe it is in the interests of public safety.
The health professional regulators are overseen by the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE). The CHRE carries out annual performance reviews with the regulators and looks at whether the regulator operates to agreed standards.
The CHRE looks at the final stage decisions made by the regulators on a professional's fitness to practice. If a decision is deemed to be unduly lenient and therefore fails to protect the public interest, the CHRE has the power to investigate further.
Other areas of expertise/types of claim
This sort of claim is different to a complaint about the standard of the medical treatment you may have received from a hospital or doctor. To make healthcare complaints, please see our website for further details about the NHS complaints procedure.
Why use Access Legal from Shoosmiths?
We understand the distress that can be caused to both individuals and their families when the professional relationship between a doctor and patient breaks down. Our approach is sympathetic and understanding. We recognise that the support you require at this stage is not necessarily legal advice concerning a potential compensation claim. Our dedicated team can advise you in a number of other ways, including how to contact support groups.
Our experts
We have an established team of nationally respected specialist clinical negligence lawyers, who include members of the Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA) referral panel, and the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL).
- Richard Follis - Partner and National Head of Clinical Negligence
- Andrea Rusbridge - Partner and Team Leader
- Kay Taylor - Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives and Team Leader
We have considerable experience in helping clients with complaints about professional misconduct and fitness to practice, and have developed working relationships with support groups such as AvMA and ICAS.
Important things to consider
You should also bear in mind that if you are considering bringing legal action against a doctor or healthcare professional, you will normally need to do this within three years of the alleged substandard treatment.
What do I do next?
Our approach is to provide effective but friendly legal support for you and your family during this difficult time and to keep you informed. Our clinical negligence solicitors can help with healthcare complaints against medical professionals and take cases which may arise following a complaint on a no-win-no-fee basis, making sure you receive 100% of the compensation you are awarded.
For a free consultation with a clinical negligence solicitor to discuss the issues on this page, please call us on 03700 86 86 86 or contact us online.
