In most cases you should first speak to the healthcare professional responsible for your treatment, usually your GP. However, if you don’t feel comfortable doing this or if you are dissatisfied with the outcome, you may wish to complain to another organisation. Details of how to contact these organisations are set out below.
Contacting your local commissioner
Commissioners (NHS England and your local clinical commissioning group, or CCG) are responsible for organising the delivery of NHS services in England. Each commissioner is responsible for a specific geographical area. They must publish their complaints procedure. If they agree with your complaint, the CCG must make sure that you are offered a choice for that health service.
To contact your local commissioner:
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visit NHS Choices at www.nhs.uk, click on the ‘Health services near you’ section on the home page. You can search for your CCG by the location of your GP practice.
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ask your GP practice as they can tell you how to contact your commissioner.
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you can also visit www.england.nhs.uk/ccg-details
Contacting NHS Improvement
If after speaking with your local CCG you are still concerned that you are being prevented from exercising your right to choice, you may want to contact NHS Improvement. NHS Improvement can provide advice about choice issues and may be able to resolve individual concerns. This could involve directing you to the appropriate place to make your concerns known, or could involve NHS Improvement directly engaging with relevant parties.
For more information on raising concerns with NHS Improvement:
Contacting NHS England
You can also contact NHS England:
Contacting the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
If you are unhappy with the decision from your CCG, NHS England or NHS Improvement, you have the right to complain to the independent Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. The Ombudsman is the final stage in the complaints system. To contact the Ombudsman:
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visit www.ombudsman.org.uk
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call the helpline: 0345 015 4033
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use the textphone (minicom): 0300 061 4298
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text ‘call back’ with your name and your mobile number to 07624813005; you will be called back within one working day during office hours (Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm).
Contacting your local advocacy service
In addition to the above, you can contact an NHS complaints advocacy service if you have concerns regarding your right to choose. Contact your local Healthwatch to find your local advocacy service by visiting www.healthwatch.co.uk/find-local-healthwatch