Complaints about Assessment and Treatment

Unfortunately we regularly hear horror stories about local treatment, including refusal to treat even when presented with a clear list of symptoms. There are a number of options, but none with guaranteed outcomes.

Request a detailed report on why you were not assessed or denied a diagnosis.

The first option is to change GP. If your current GP is proving a barrier to getting onto the CMHT waiting list, other GPs in the same area are sometimes more agreeable. Here we recommend checking out reviews, for example on Google Maps.

If you get a denial of diagnosis from the CMHT, then you can request a second opinion.

The next option is to engage with the NHS complaints process. In parallel with this you might want to write to your MSP as sometimes they can advocate on your behalf. When writing a complaint these are the points we recommend bearing in mind:

Keep it short and succinct. You can include proof, but the covering letter must be less than a page, otherwise the respondent will either ignore it or pick on a minor detail rather than the core essence of the complaint.

Address the complaint to one person – otherwise all the people in the complaint will presume that someone else will deal with it.

Keep it factual (e.g. I first called on Monday, 10th October and didn’t hear anything for 2 months” rather than “I was ignored”). Adding insults or presuming someone else’s motivations won’t help encourage others to engage with you.

Describe the impact. Why is the complaint important?

Explain the outcome that you want to achieve. This prevents misunderstandings, assumptions and items being forgotten.

Include fact-based evidence (as appendix/addition)

End with setting a realistic timescale to get a response. This needs to allow for holidays and time to gather facts. 28 days is often a good starting point.

Include your contact information!