Sometimes you may need support to help you make a complaint about the NHS, a government department or another public organisation.
This page provides information on what to do and where you can get help.
Have you read our tips on how to make a complaint?
If you need information and advice
If your complaint is about the NHS
These organisations can give you advice on how to take it forward:
- your local Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
- the Patients Association
- your local Healthwatch.
If your complaint is about a government department or other public organisation
Your local Citizens Advice will be able to help.
If you need someone to help you make your complaint
We independently look at the complaints people bring to us. This means we can give you information and advice about making a complaint but we can’t make a complaint for you.
If you do need someone to help you with this there are other people and organisations you can ask.
Someone who represents you and makes your complaint for you, is called an advocate.
You could ask a friend or a family member to do this for you. There are also organisations that offer free, independent advocacy services.
Your local health complaints advocacy service
These are some of the organisations that provide health complaints advocacy services:
- Carers Federation
- POhWER
- The Advocacy People
- VoiceAbility.
- There are other organisations too. Check with your local authority, Healthwatch or the Local Government Association website to find out the provider in your area.
Other organisations that can help
Other organisations, including some charities, offer advocacy as part of what they do. These are just some of them:
- Action against medical accidents (for people affected by medical accidents)
- Age UK (for older people)
- Independent Age (for older people)
- Mencap (for people with a learning disability)
- Mind (for people affected by mental illness)
- Rethink (for people affected by mental illness).
If you ask someone to bring your complaint to us
You may decide that you want an advocate to make your complaint to us on your behalf. We’ll need to check with you that you’re happy for them to do this.
If you’re having trouble finding the right support for you, then please call us on 0345 015 4033 and we’ll do our best to put you in touch with an organisation that can help.