How Do I Complain About NHS Care in Wales?

Who this guide is for

You want to raise a concern about NHS care or treatment in Wales: for example a hospital, GP practice, dentist, pharmacy or optician. You can raise a concern yourself, or a carer, friend or relative can represent you with your written permission.

Since 1 April 2026 the NHS in Wales handles concerns under a process called Listening to People. It replaced Putting Things Right. Older concerns already being handled under Putting Things Right carry on under it.

This guide is about NHS concerns and complaints. The rules in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland are different.

What this guide does not cover

• Compensation claims for clinical negligence and their time limits: get legal advice. This guide does not cover them.
• Private treatment you paid for yourself, and social care: this guide does not cover them.
• Reporting a doctor, nurse or other professional to their professional regulator: this guide does not cover it.
• Getting a copy of your medical records: see our subject access request guide.

At a glance

• Talk to the staff involved in your care first if you can. If that does not help, contact the practice or the health board or NHS trust's concerns team.
• Raise your concern within 12 months of what happened, or of finding out about it.
• Your concern must be acknowledged within 5 working days, and you must be offered a listening discussion.
• Many concerns go through early resolution, which must be finished within 10 working days of the acknowledgement. Others are investigated.
• If the NHS body may be liable, it must consider redress, which can include financial compensation of up to £50,000 without going to court.
• Llais gives free, independent advocacy. If you are still unhappy after the NHS investigation, you can go to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales.

What the rules depend on

• Which NHS service is it, and was the care in Wales?
• When did it happen, and when did you find out about it?
• Have you raised your concern yet, and has it been acknowledged?
• Has it been through early resolution or an investigation, and what was the outcome?
• Do you think the NHS may be liable for harm? Then redress must be considered.

How to raise a concern

• Talk to the staff involved in your care as soon as possible. They will try to sort it out straight away.
• If that does not help, or you do not want to speak to them, contact the complaints (concerns) team of the health board or NHS trust.
• For a GP, dentist, pharmacist or optician, ask the practice to look into it, or ask the health board's concerns team instead.
• You can raise a concern with any staff member, in writing or by speaking to them.

The time limit

• Raise your concern within 12 months of what happened, or within 12 months of finding out about it. It is best to speak to someone as soon as possible.
• If it is later, the concern can still be looked at if there was a good reason for the delay and it can still be investigated, but not more than 3 years after the event or finding out.

What happens next

• Your concern must be acknowledged within 5 working days.
• You must be offered a listening discussion, in person, by phone or by video, to talk about what happened and what you want to achieve. Advocacy and communication support should be offered too.
• Stage 1, early resolution: this must be considered for every concern unless it is not suitable, and it must be finished within 10 working days, starting on the day your concern is acknowledged.
• Stage 2, investigation: if early resolution is not suitable or does not resolve it, the concern is investigated.

Redress

• If the investigation finds the NHS body may be liable for harm, it must consider redress. Redress can include further care, remedial treatment and financial compensation of up to £50,000 without going to court.
• Only Welsh NHS bodies can offer NHS redress in Wales. You are free to get independent legal advice at any time.

The Ombudsman

• If you are still unhappy after the NHS investigation, you can go to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales. It is independent and free.
• The Ombudsman normally looks at something that happened, or that you found out about, in the last 12 months.

Getting help

• Llais gives free, independent and confidential complaints advocacy for NHS care in Wales. It can help you raise a concern, come to meetings and take it to the Ombudsman.

Compensation outside the NHS process

• A complaint is not a compensation claim. A claim for clinical negligence is a separate court claim with its own time limits, and making a complaint does not stop that time running. Get legal advice quickly if you are thinking about one. This guide does not cover it.

Deadlines

• Your concern: within 12 months of what happened or of finding out; later only for a good reason, and not more than 3 years after.
• Acknowledgement: within 5 working days.
• Early resolution: within 10 working days of the acknowledgement.
• The Ombudsman: normally within 12 months of the problem or of finding out about it.

Money figures

• NHS redress in Wales: financial compensation of up to £50,000 without going to court.

Where to go for help

Traps

• In Wales the process is Listening to People, not the English NHS complaints procedure, and the ombudsman is the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, not the Public Service Ombudsman (formerly the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman).
• Redress in Wales can include compensation without going to court, but only where the NHS body may be liable.
• A court claim is separate, and raising a concern does not stop its time limit.
• Someone representing you needs your written permission.