Private Healthcare Complaints

Private healthcare providers registered with the CQC are required to have a formal complaints procedure. Start by raising your complaint with the provider's Patient Services or Complaints Manager. Your complaint should include:

• Your full name, date of birth, and patient reference number
• A description of what went wrong and when
• The names of any clinicians involved (if known)
• What outcome you are seeking — an explanation, an apology, a refund of charges, or clinical review

Private providers do not have a statutory timescale for responding to complaints (unlike NHS providers). However, most aim to acknowledge within a few days and respond within 20–30 working days. If they fail to respond within a reasonable time, request a timescale in writing.

The Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service (ISCAS) provides independent adjudication of complaints about private healthcare providers that are ISCAS members. Membership is voluntary but widely adopted among major private healthcare groups (including Spire, Nuffield Health, HCA, and many others).

ISCAS adjudication is only available after the provider's internal complaints process has been exhausted. To use ISCAS:

1. Complete the provider's internal complaints process
2. If unresolved, apply to ISCAS at iscas.org.uk within six months of the provider's final response
3. An ISCAS adjudicator will review the complaint and issue a binding decision

Check whether your provider is an ISCAS member before assuming this route is available to you.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates all healthcare providers in England — NHS and private. You can report concerns about patient safety and care quality to the CQC, which can inspect providers and take enforcement action. However, the CQC does not handle individual complaints or award compensation.

If you believe you have suffered harm as a result of negligent private healthcare — a surgical complication that was mishandled, a delayed diagnosis, or a prescription error — you may have a clinical negligence claim. Private negligence claims are pursued against the individual clinician or the provider. Seek specialist legal advice from a clinical negligence solicitor. Time limits apply — generally three years from when you knew (or should have known) about the negligence.