Medical errors made by a GP can have serious and life-changing consequences. A delay in diagnosis, missed symptoms, prescription mistakes, and failures to refer patients for further investigation can all lead to avoidable harm.
While most GP services provide a high standard of care, mistakes and poor experiences can happen. If you’re unhappy with the care you’ve received from your GP, making a complaint can ensure they’re held accountable and help prevent others from suffering the same treatment.
In this guide, we’ll explain how to complain about a GP, what the complaints process involves, and what your options are if your experience goes beyond poor service and results in harm. In some cases, what starts as a complaint may lead to a GP negligence claim if they failed in their duty of care.
When should you complain about a GP?
There are many reasons why you might want to make a complaint about your GP. These can range from administrative issues to more serious concerns about the quality of care you received.
Common reasons for complaints include:
- Poor communication or not being listened to
- Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis
- Incorrect treatment or medication errors
- Failure to refer you to a specialist when necessary
- Lack of follow-up care
Not every negative experience will amount to negligence, but you still have the right to raise concerns and expect them to be taken seriously. However, if a GP’s actions have caused you avoidable harm or allowed your condition to worsen, you may also have grounds for a medical negligence claim.
How do I complain about my GP?
If you’ve decided to make a complaint, there are a few different ways to go about it. The route you take will depend on your circumstances and how comfortable you feel raising the issue directly.
1. Complain to the GP practice
The first step or option is usually to complain directly to the GP practice. Every practice should have a complaints procedure in place.
You can typically do this by:
- Speaking to the practice manager
- Submitting a written complaint via email or letter
- Completing an online complaints form (if available)
When making your complaint, you should include:
- A clear description of what happened
- Dates and times (where possible)
- The names of any staff involved
- What outcome you’re hoping for
The practice will usually acknowledge your complaint within a few days and aim to provide a full response within a set timeframe.
2. Complain to NHS England
If you don’t feel comfortable complaining directly to the practice, or you’re unhappy with their response, you can escalate your complaint to NHS England.
They will investigate your concerns independently and provide a response based on their findings.
3. Contact the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
If you’ve completed the NHS complaints process and still aren’t satisfied, you can take your complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO).
The Ombudsman is independent of the NHS and will review whether your complaint has been handled fairly and appropriately.
Is there a time limit for making a complaint?
In most cases, you should make your complaint within 12 months of the incident or within 12 months of becoming aware that something went wrong. This is because incidents become harder to investigate after a long period of time has passed.
However, exceptions can sometimes be made if there’s a valid reason for the delay – for example, if your condition prevented you from raising the issue sooner.
What outcome can I expect from a complaint?
Making a complaint about a GP won’t result in financial compensation. However, it can still lead to important outcomes.
These may include:
- An explanation of what happened
- An apology from the GP or practice
- Changes to procedures to prevent similar issues in the future
- Staff training or disciplinary action (in some cases)
Simply having your concerns acknowledged may provide a sense of closure. However, if your experience has resulted in avoidable harm, you may want to consider further action.
When might GP treatment be considered medical negligence?
While complaints focus on service and accountability, medical negligence is about whether the care you received fell below an acceptable standard and directly caused you harm.
To have grounds for a medical negligence claim, three key elements generally need to be established:
- Duty of care: Your GP owed you a duty of care (which is almost always the case)
- Breach of duty: The care you received fell below a reasonable standard
- Causation: This failure directly caused you harm, injury, or unnecessary suffering
For example, this could include:
- A missed diagnosis that allowed a condition to worsen
- Prescribing the wrong medication or dosage, leading to health complications
- Failure to refer for further investigation
- Failing to act on symptoms that should have been investigated further
If this sounds familiar, you may wish to seek legal advice about whether you could pursue a claim for compensation.
Do I need to complain before I can make a medical negligence claim?
No, you don’t have to make a complaint before starting a medical negligence claim, but doing so can be helpful.
A complaint may:
- Provide additional evidence about what went wrong
- Prompt an early explanation or admission
- Help clarify the sequence of events
That said, if you’ve suffered as a result of negligent treatment from your GP, it’s often best to seek legal advice as soon as possible.
How do I start a medical negligence claim?
If you believe your GP has failed in their duty of care and caused you harm, the first step is to get in touch with a specialist medical negligence solicitor, like the Medical Law Partnership.
We will review the details of your case and advise you on your chances of success. If you choose to proceed, your solicitor will handle the entire legal process on your behalf, including gathering evidence and negotiations.
At the Medical Law Partnership, we operate on a no-win, no-fee basis. That means there are no upfront costs, and you won’t pay anything if your claim is unsuccessful.
Get in touch with us today to find out more about starting a GP negligence claim.