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.

Private healthcare complaints require a different approach from NHS complaints. The absence of a statutory complaints framework means that the quality of your evidence and understanding of the relevant bodies is particularly important.

How ISCAS adjudication works: The Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service (ISCAS) is an approved ADR scheme for private healthcare. Member organisations include most major private hospital groups. The ISCAS process has three stages: Stage 1 is local resolution by the provider; Stage 2 is an internal review by the provider's complaints department; and Stage 3 is independent ISCAS adjudication, available only after Stages 1 and 2 have been completed. The ISCAS adjudicator considers whether the provider's complaints process was followed correctly and whether the provider's response was reasonable. ISCAS can direct providers to apologise, review their processes, and make financial payments — but it cannot award compensation for clinical negligence. For negligence, a civil claim is required. Check whether your provider is ISCAS-registered at iscas.org.uk before assuming this route is available.

Evidence to gather for a private healthcare complaint: Request copies of your full medical records as early as possible — you have the right to these under UK GDPR. Your records will include clinical notes, medication records, procedure notes, and any correspondence between clinicians. You should also gather: all invoices and payment records; any written estimates or treatment plans you were given before treatment; correspondence with the clinic about the complaint; and, for negligence claims, an independent clinical expert's report confirming the treatment fell below the required standard.

Professional regulators for private clinicians: Private doctors, dentists, nurses, and other regulated health professionals are subject to the same professional regulation as their NHS counterparts. The General Medical Council (GMC) regulates doctors; the General Dental Council (GDC) regulates dentists; the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) regulates nurses and midwives. Serious clinical failures and conduct issues should be reported to the relevant regulator regardless of whether the care was private or NHS. Regulatory action — suspension, conditions on practice, or erasure from the register — is separate from and does not prevent a civil negligence claim.

Equality Act 2010 in private healthcare: Private healthcare providers are subject to the Equality Act 2010. They must not discriminate against patients on grounds of any protected characteristic and must make reasonable adjustments for disabled patients. If you believe you received worse care, were refused treatment, or were treated dismissively because of a protected characteristic, raise this as part of your complaint to the provider and to ISCAS. The Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) can advise on whether you have an Equality Act claim.