Making a Complaint

Making a complaint about the NHS Leaflet - NHS Lothian

Making a complaint about the NHS Fact Sheet - NHS Lothian

If you would like to make a make a complaint about the service that you have received, please contact the NHS Lothian Complaints Team. You can do this via a number of routes, including:

  • In writing
  • By telephone
  • By email
  • Face to face

The information that you provide here is part of the formal of complaints process and can help us:

  • Demonstrate to people who use our services that we listen and act on their feedback and comments
  • Identify service areas that require change or improvement.

Where possible, it would be helpful if you can provide us with the following information:

  • Are you the patient (yes or no).  If no, please give your name and relationship to the patient
  • Patient’s name
  • Patient’s postal address including post code
  • Your email address, if you have one
  • Telephone number
  • Patient’s date of birth
  • Description of the complaint that you are making
  • Location where this occurred
  • Date when this occurred

Please include your contact details (a postal address, email or telephone number) so that we can contact you if we need any further information and details.

If you are not the patient and are providing information on or behalf of someone else, we will need to obtain their consent so that we can act on this information. If consent is not obtained this may delay any response being sent to you. We will write to acknowledge your complaint and endeavour to formally respond to you in writing within 20 working days with the results of our investigations. 

NHS Lothian Complaints Team is based at:

WaverleyGate
2 – 4 Waterloo Place
Edinburgh
EH1 3EG

Telephone: 0131 536 3370

Email: complaints.team@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk

Right to Redress

If the NHS has fully investigated your complaint and you are still not happy, you can ask the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) to consider your complaint further. The SPSO cannot normally look at complaints more than 12 months after you became aware of the matter you want to complain about. Sometimes this time limit will not apply. Please contact the SPSO for more information. The SPSO cannot look at matters that have been or are being considered in court.

If you are not happy with the way the NHS is dealing with your complaint, for example if you think it is
taking too long, you can contact the SPSO. The Ombudsman does not take up all cases and will decide whether or not to investigate your complaint further.

The contact details for the SPSO are:

The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman
Freepost EH641
Edinburgh
EH3 0BR

Telephone: 0800 377 7330
Text message: 07900 494 372
Email: ask@spso.org.uk
Website: www.spso.org.uk

If you want to complain about the Scottish Ambulance Service please contact:

National Complaints Administrator
Scottish Ambulance Service
National Headquarters
Tipperlinn Road
Edinburgh
EH10 5UU
Telephone 0131 446 7000

If you want to complain about NHS 24 please contact

Patient Customer Relations Department
NHS 24
Caledonia House
Fifty Pitches Road
Cardonald Park
Glasgow
G51 4ED
Telephone 0141 337 4501

If you want to complain about GoldenJubilee National Hospitalplease contact

Risk Manager
Golden Jubilee National Hospital
Beardmore Street
Clydebank
G81 4HX
Telephone 0141 951 5000

If you want to complain about The State Hospital please contact

Complaints Officer
The State Hospital
Carstairs
Lanark
ML11 8RP
Phone 01555 842 200

Last Reviewed: 02/11/2011
Due to be Reviewed: 02/11/2012