Making a complaint

Your Experience of NHS Services

We welcome all feedback, positive or negative, about your experience of local NHS services, as this helps us to improve services for patients.

How the public make a complaint about primary care services is changing on 1 July 2023

You have the right to make a complaint about any aspect of NHS care, treatment or service, and this is written into the NHS Constitution on GOV.UK.

From 1 July 2023 the way you can make a complaint about primary care services to the commissioner is changing.  By primary care services we mean GPs, dentists, opticians or pharmacy services.

There are two ways you can make a complaint:

  • You can complain to the healthcare provider: this is the organisation where you received the NHS service, for example a GP surgery or dental surgery.
  • You can complain to the commissioner of the service: this is the organisation that paid for the service or care you received.

After 1 July 2023 if you want to make a complaint about primary care services to the commissioner you will now contact the Experience Team within NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board instead of NHS England.

You can do this by:

Telephone: 01904 555999

E-mail: hnyicb.experience@nhs.net

Writing to us at: The Experience Team, Humber and North Yorkshire ICB, Health Place, Wrawby Road, Brigg, DN20 8GS

If you want to make a complaint directly to the provider of the primary care service, you still can – that does not change on the 1 July 2023.

Members of the public with ongoing complaints received on/after 1 July 2022 will receive a letter from NHS England informing them that the ICB is now handling their complaint with confirmation of their case handler.

Members of the public with any ongoing complaints received before 1 July 2022 will receive a letter from NHS England informing them that their complaint is being retained by NHS England with confirmation of their case handler.

If you have any questions or queries about the changes, please contact the Experience Team at hnyicb.experience@nhs.net

Find out more about how to feedback or make a complaint about an NHS service 

I would like to raise my concerns formally and receive a written response

Your complaint should be made to the NHS organisation who provided the service. If your complaint is about your primary care practitioner (GP Practice, dentist, community pharmacy or optician) you may complain directly to the practice, or contact NHS England. Their details are provided below.

You can make your complaint in writing, by email, or verbally. If you make your complaint verbally, you will be asked to sign and return a written record to ensure that you agree with the contents.

When should I make a complaint?

A complaint should be made within 12 months from the date it occurred or when it came to your attention. In some cases if there is good reason why you could not complain sooner and it is still possible to investigate your complaint, it may be possible to waive the time limit.

What happens if my complaint involves a number of different organisations?

If your complaint involves more than one NHS organisation or the NHS and social care, you only need to make one complaint and you will receive a single, coordinated response.

If any part of the joint complaint relates to a primary care service, (that is a GP Practice, dentist, community pharmacy or optician), the complaint will need to be raised with NHS England – their details are provided below.

Email: england.contactus@nhs.net
Telephone: 0300 311 22 33
Address: NHS England, PO Box 16738, Redditch, B97 9PT
Website: NHS England

If your complaint is about a commissioning or funding decision you should send this to:

Email: hnyicb-nl.complaints@nhs.net
Telephone: 01652 251005
Address: Patient Experience Manager, Health Place, Wrawby Road, Brigg, North Lincolnshire, DN20 8GS