When we visit a general practitioner (GP), we trust that they will provide us with competent medical care. GPs are held to the same standards as other medical professionals and owe their patients appropriate levels of care. However, if a GP does not carry out their duty of care correctly, this can have serious consequences for patients and the impact can be devastating. In some cases, this could be regarded as negligent care from a GP. Raising a complaint about your GP for negligence can be a complex and potentially daunting experience, but it is crucial that all patients receive the care that they deserve and that all GPs are upholding their duty of care. In this article, we will be explaining how to raise a complaint about your GP. .

How can you report a GP for medical negligence?

If you are looking to report your GP for medical negligence, there are a few different options that you are able to take:

You can raise your concerns directly with the GP who is treating you
You can make a formal complaint to your GP surgery
You can make a GP negligence claim

Signs of GP negligence

GPs play a very crucial role in providing healthcare to their patients. However, in some instances there may be times where a GP’s actions could fall short of the expected standard of care that the NHS adhere to. These actions could potentially lead to harm or injury to the patient so it is important to be able to recognise the signs of GP negligence so that you are able to know if you have received any sort of GP negligence. Some common signs of GP negligence include:

Delay or failure to refer for specialist treatment
Failure to treat a medical condition
Failure to diagnose a condition
Issuing an incorrect prescription to a patient
Not following up on test results
Failure to record patient information correctly
Failure to complete a proper patient examination
Failure to refer for x-ray

GP negligence can have serious consequences for patients including a condition becoming worse, unnecessary pain, emotional distress, financial loss and potentially even death. If you have experienced any signs of GP negligence, you are able to report this and make a complaint in order to protect yourself and also ensure that this type of GP negligence will not occur again.

How do I complain about my GP?

A question that is often asked is ‘how do I complain about my GP surgery?’. While the process may seem daunting, it’s important to know that you have the right to complain about your GP practice if you believe the care that you received was inadequate.

In order to make a complaint about your GP the NHS has the following procedure in place:

In the first instance, the NHS recommends giving feedback to help improve the quality of care. By giving feedback directly to your GP, you may be able to resolve the issue quickly without having to make a formal complaint.

If you have given feedback and you do not feel as though your issue has been resolved, you are able to make a formal complaint about your GP.

Who do I complain to about my GP?

When making a GP complaint, you have two options, you can either complain to your healthcare provider (GP surgery) or you can complain to the commissioner, this is the organisation that paid for the service or care that you received – NHS England. Making a complaint to the commissioner may be the right option for you if you do not feel comfortable submitting a complaint directly to your GP.

When you are making a formal complaint, you can do this in writing, by email, or by speaking to someone in the organisation.

How long do I have to make a complaint about my GP?

You have 12 months from when the incident happened to make a complaint about your GP but, you should make the complaint as soon as possible. This 12 month deadline could potentially be extended if there is a reason as to why you could not make your complaint within the year, as long as it is still possible for the NHS to investigate your complaint.

What to include in your GP complaint

You can file a complaint in writing or verbally. However, it’s usually recommended to submit your GP complaint in writing so that all the factual details are clearly documented. If you do choose to make a verbal complaint, be sure to record all the information to maintain an accurate record.

In a formal complaint about your GP you should include:

What happened
When the incident happened
How it has affected you
What you hope to achieve from the complaint
Who was involved in the incident
How you should be contacted regarding the complaint

If you need any further help when making a complaint about a GP, you can speak to the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS). This is a free service that can help you through the complaint process.

Once you have submitted a formal complaint, you should get a response promptly and then an internal investigation into the complaint should occur shortly after.

What to expect after you have made a complaint to your GP

Once you have made a complaint regarding your GP, the NHS constitution states that “You have the right to have any complaint you make about the NHS services acknowledged within three working days and to have it properly investigated”

The government states that after you have made a complaint about your GP:

You should have your complaint acknowledged and properly looked into
You should be kept informed of the progress that has been made regarding your complaint and updated of the outcome
You should be treated fairly, politely and with respect
Your care and treatment will not be affected as a result of making a complaint
You should be offered an opportunity to discuss your complaint with the complaints manager
You will expect appropriate action to be taken following your complaint

What to do if you are not satisfied with the outcome of your GP complaint

The NHS pledges to:

“Ensure that you are treated with courtesy and you receive appropriate support throughout the handling of a complaint; and that the fact you have complained will not adversely affect your future treatment “
“Ensure that when mistakes happen or if you are harmed while receiving health care you receive an appropriate explanation and apology, delivered with sensitivity and recognition of the trauma you have experienced, and know that lesions will be learned to help avoid a similar incident occurring again”
“Ensure that the organisation learns lessons from complaints and claims and uses these to improve NHS services”

If you do not feel as though the NHS has adhered to these pledges and you are not satisfied or happy with the response that you have received from the NHS, you can then ask the independent Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to look at your complaint.

This is a free service that makes final decisions about complaints that have not been resolved by the NHS. This service can be used for more serious complaints about GPs. The ombudsman will investigate your complaint and let you know if they decide to take it further.

Statistics surrounding complaints made to GPs

During 2022-2023 there were a total of 125,584 primary care written complaints made to the NHS, this was an increase of 4.6%% from 2021-2022. For GP practices in particular, the most common cause for complaints was Clinical Treatment with 13.8% in GP complaints and 24.8% in Dental.

Making a GP negligence claim alongside a complaint

The NHS Constitution for England establishes the principles and values of NHS England and it sets out the rights to which patients are entitled to. When you visit your GP, you expect these values and principles to be met and that you are going to be cared for to the highest standard. Unfortunately, there are some cases where this standard is not met and this can constitute a GP negligence claim.

Making a complaint about your GP to the NHS can ensure that this is investigated properly and that it doesn’t happen again. Alongside making a complaint, you could also be entitled to make a GP negligence claim.

If you have suffered any harm or injury due to negligence that has been carried out by your GP, you may be entitled to compensation. Pursuing a GP negligence claim alongside making a complaint can provide you with financial support and closure, as well as helping the NHS to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.

At Patient Claim Line, we have a team of specialist solicitors who can help you pursue a GP negligence claim and obtain the compensation that you deserve. We understand that dealing with GP negligence can be overwhelming but we are here to support you through every step of your claims process. We have extensive experience in handling GP negligence claims and have helped many patients claim for GP negligence. Plus, we work on a no win no fee basis meaning that there is no financial risk in pursuing your claim.

A guide to reporting a GP for Negligence

28th April, 2023

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