Doctor speaking to a patient in an outpatient clinic

Deciding to make a complaint? 

Making a complaint can feel daunting and scary, and you might be wondering whether it’s worth the time and effort. However, if you have problems with an NHS or social care service, you need to resolve these to get the care you need.

How to make a complaint

Are you unhappy with your experience of healthcare services in Southwark? Do you want the issue to be investigated and to receive a formal explanation of what happened, and assurances about what improvements will be made?

Find out who to contact here

Patient Advice Liaison Service 

Patient Advice Liaison Service (PALS) offers confidential advice, support and information on health matters. It provides a point of contact for patients, families and carers.

PALS do not investigate individual complaints but can give you general advice about the NHS complaints procedure.

Contact PALS service

Support to make a complaint

If you need more help with making your complaint (for example if you need help to write the letter or you do not feel confident enough to deal with the complaints process alone) you can contact Pohwer. Their support is only available for NHS funded services and does not cover social care complaints.

Visit the Pohwer website

More tips and tools for making a complaint

Making a complaint can be a daunting task, so knowing who you can complain to and what to do is essential. 

We can help you. We've worked with Healthwatch England to produce straightforward advice will guide you through the process from knowing who to talk to, top tips on what to do and what you can expect from services in response. 

Read our complaints advice

Woman speaking to a receptionist

Do you have a complaint about us?

Healthwatch Southwark is part of Community Southwark, who handle complaints about our services.

See our complaints policy