NHS Complaint Standards: Summary of expectations

About the NHS Complaint Standards

The NHS Complaint Standards set out how organisations providing NHS services should approach complaint handling. They apply to NHS organisations in England and independent healthcare providers that deliver NHS-funded care.

The Complaint Standards support organisations to provide a quicker, simpler and more streamlined complaint handling service. They have a strong focus on:

  • early resolution by empowered and well-trained people
  • all staff, particularly senior staff, regularly reviewing what learning can be taken from complaints
  • how all staff, particularly senior staff, should use this learning to improve services.

The Complaint Standards are based on My Expectations, which sets out what patients want to happens when they make a complaint about health or social care services. The Standards and the guidance modules describe how staff can meet those expectations.

Download the NHS Complaint Standards

Download NHS Complaint Standards: Summary of expectations (PDF 3.27 MB)

Download Easy Read NHS Complaint Standards (PDF 3.99MB)