If you are going to fill in our complaint form, it might help you to know what we will ask you.
We will ask you the following about your complaint:
When it happened
You should normally complain to us within a year of when you first became aware of the problem. If it was more than a year ago we may still be able to help you, if there were good reasons for the delay. We’ll ask you to explain on the complaint form or you can ring us for more information on 0345 015 4033. Find out more about time limits here.
- How it affected you
What you would like done to put things right
We can, for example, recommend that organisations explain and apologise, change their procedure and, if appropriate, make a payment. We will ask you what you would like us to achieve for you. If we do not think that we can achieve it, we will let you know. Find out more about what we can and can't do to sort out your complaint.
If you are planning or have taken legal action
In some cases, you might be better off taking legal action, for example, if you want a very large financial payment. We will ask you if you have already been to court or are thinking about taking legal action, as it may affect whether we can investigate your complaint. Find out more about legal action here.
- If you are complaining for someone else
If relevant, we will need to check if they agree to this.
We will also ask you to send us a copy of the organisation's final response to your complaint to them.
Complaint forms
You can use our complaint checker to find out if your complaint is ready for us and make a complaint using our online form. You can also:
- log in to your account
- or download a form to make a complaint about the NHS in England, a UK government department or other public organisation.