The NHS Complaints Regulations

Click here to view Dental Protection’s advice booklet on handling complaints from dental patients who have received treatment in England.

The Local Authority Social Services & NHS Complaints (England) Regulations 2009 came into force on 1 April 2009 and introduced a revised procedure for the handling of complaints by local authorities, in respect of complaints about adult social care, and by NHS bodies, primary care providers and independent providers in respect of provision of NHS care. The regulations aligned adult social care and health complaints processes into a single set of arrangements.

These Regulations revoked the National Health Service (Complaints) Regulations 2004 and the National Health Service (Complaints) Amendment Regulations 2006. The Regulations can be found here and the associated guidance documents:

• Listening, Responding, Improving: A Guide to Better Customer Care
• Principles of Good Administration, Principles of Good Complaint Handling and Principles for Remedy

The Ombudsman

Patients who remain unhappy after local resolution is complete may request a review of their complaint by the Ombudsman. It is a two-stage complaints procedure. 

The Ombudsman deals with the second stage of complaints about services provided through the NHS in England.