Hospital complaints

This information doesn’t apply if you:

• are a patient in a private hospital paying for your own treatment.
• are a private patient in an NHS hospital. However you could make a complaint about someone who is supporting your treatment if they are on an NHS contract.
• want to challenge your detention in hospital under the Mental Health Act 1983. There is a special appeal procedure for this. But you can still complain about hospital care and treatment even if you're a detained patient.

Who is responsible for hospital care?

It can be confusing to work out who is responsible for your care in a hospital and who you can raise your concerns with. There are a number of options:

NHS hospitals

The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) provide a service to help sort out any problems or complaints that you may have about services or treatment provided at either Whittington, North Middlesex, Barnet and Chase Farm, Royal Free or University College Hospitals.

Whittington Hospital

The service is based on the left in the main entrance to the hospital and is open Monday to Friday 9.30am to 4.30pm, excluding Bank holidays and weekends.

PALS Office can be contacted by:

Phone: 020 7288 5551 

Email: whh-tr.whitthealthPALS@nhs.net

For more information see Whittington Health (link to website)

North Middlesex Hospital

The team can be contacted by phone or in-person Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm (excluding bank holidays).

North Middlesex Hospital PALS Office can be contacted by:

Phone: 020 8887 3172

Email: northmid.pals@nhs.net 

For more information see North Middlesex Hospital Patient Advice and Liaison Service (link to website)

The Patient Advice and Liaison Service is in the atrium of the main hospital building.

Royal Free Hospital

The Royal Free Hospital PALS Office can be contacted by:

Phone: 020 7472 6446 or 020 7830 2577 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Email: rf.pals@nhs.net

SMS: 447860023323 (Deaf, hard of hearing and hearing impaired patients only)

For more information see Barnet, Chase Farm, Royal Free PALS  (link to website)

Visiting in person:
The service is open from 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm Monday to Friday. The Patient Advice and Liaison Service for the Royal Free Hospital is based on the ground floor, opposite the main reception.

You can also contact PALS using this form or via the details below:

Write to:
Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
Royal Free Hospital
Pond Street, 
London NW3 2QG

Barnet Hospital and Chase Farm Hospital

The Barnet Hospital and Chase Farm Hospital PALS Office can be contacted by:

Phone: 020 8216 4924 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm

Email: rf-tr.bcfpals@nhs.net

For more information see Barnet, Chase Farm, Royal Free PALS  (link to website)

You can also contact PALS using this form or via the details below:

Write to:
Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
Barnet Hospital
Wellhouse Lane
Barnet EN5 3DJ

Visiting in person:
The Patient Advice and Liaison Service is based on the ground floor of Barnet Hospital, near the main entrance. The walk-in service is open Monday to Friday, 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm.

University College London Hospitals (UCLH)

The UCLH PALS Office can be contacted by:

Phone: 020 3447 3042

Email:  uclh.pals@nhs.net

For more information see UCLH PALS (link to website)

Video appointments and face-to-face appointments can be arranged on request.

Write to:
PALS
Ground Floor Atrium 
University College Hospital
235 Euston Road
London NW1 2BU 

Complain about an individual doctor

The General Medical Council registers doctors to practise in the UK and has the powers to issue a warning to a doctor, suspend or place conditions on their registration or remove a doctor from the register: http://www.gmc-uk.org/concerns/index.asp

NHS care in private hospitals

Haringey Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG) buy or commission hospital services for local people and this could include commissioning treatment in a private hospital. If there's a problem and you don't want to complain directly to the private hospital, you can contact the Haringey CCG to raise concerns. Your GP can also refer you to a private hospital for NHS treatment. If this has happened to you see the GP section below.

Contact the North and East London Commissioning Support Unit (NEL CSU) which is an NHS organisation and manages the complaints process on behalf of Haringey CCG.

Phone: 020 3688 1623/1624

Email: nelcsu.complaints@nhs.net

Your GP

Apart from emergency care, hospital treatment is arranged through your GP. If there are problems with your care at the hospital, you could also inform your GP.

This is particularly the case if your GP has referred you to a private hospital for NHS treatment and you have concerns with your treatment or the service.

North Central London Integrated Care Board (NCL ICB)

North Central London ICB is responsible for buying or commissioning hospital care. You can make a complaint to them if:

• you’re unhappy with the care you get in a NHS hospital or in a private hospital with a contract to provide NHS services, and
• you don’t want to raise your concern directly with the hospital or your GP.

Email nclicb.complaints@nhs.net

Telephone: 020 4515 1448 (Please leave a message requesting a call back. They aim to call you back within three working days)

By post: NHS North Central London ICB, Complaints Team, 2nd Floor, Laycock PDC, Laycock Street, London, N1 1TH

Website: https://nclhealthandcare.org.uk/contact/complaint-concern-or-compliment/

Citizens Advice also provide information on making complaints about hospitals.

Find out more

Need help?

Healthwatch Haringey is not able to support people in making an individual complaint. This is known as a complaints advocacy service. The NHS Complaints Advocacy Service (link to website) provide a free, independent service for Haringey residents. Their website is dedicated to helping you understand what your options are and how to get the best resolution.

If you wish to complain about a National Health Service (NHS) please call London POhWER on 020 3553 5960, nationally on 0300 456 2370 or email pohwer@pohwer.net