We CANNOT provide medical advice. For health information contact NHS Inform on 0800 22 44 88 or go to www.nhsinform.scot
If you feel unwell or need urgent medical attention contact your GP or NHS24 on 111 if your GP is closed.
Have you got questions about the Patient Advice and Support Service? The Frequently Asked Questions below might help.
You can find your local citizens advice bureau by entering your postcode in the bureau finder.
Not necessarily. You will usually see a generalist adviser in the bureau. If you require more support, they might refer you to a specialist PASS Adviser.
The bureau will contact you by email or phone within two weeks. Please make contact if this does not happen.
Yes, PASS can help you at any point in the complaints process. Your PASS Adviser can advise you on when you can expect to hear back from the NHS and provide you with information about what you can do next.
Home visits can be arranged in some areas of Scotland. We can also be contacted by phone on 0800 917 2127 (Mon – Fri 9am – 5pm) or use our contact form.
Yes. For advice in Scotland, you can contact us by phone on 0800 917 2127 (Mon – Fri 9am – 5pm) or use our contact form.
Yes. We can give you advice and information on how to do this. You will need to have signed authorisation, be a legal guardian or have welfare Power of Attorney (POA).
You may be able to if you are a relative of this person, were married to them or are the executor of their will.
If your relationship falls outside of these categories, it may be beneficial to speak to a PASS Adviser.
Of course. An adviser will be happy to help you with this.
No. For help giving feedback or raising a complaint about private healthcare, go online for more information and further assistance. Click here to find out more.
Information on the NHS complaints procedure can be found on the citizens advice Scotland public advice website. Click here to find out more.
The complaint must be made to the NHS:
However, these time limits may not apply if there is a good reason why you could not make the complaint sooner.
A request to investigate your NHS complaint should be made to the SPSO no later than one year from the date when you became aware of the events which are the subject of complaint. In exceptional circumstances, the SPSO may extend the time limit. An example of this may be:
If medical negligence led to harm or death, you have the right to take legal action. It’s usually better to make a complaint first, as the process will help gather information together.
We can’t give you legal advice, but we can signpost you to resources and organisations that may be able to help.
To find out more about your rights, visit NHS Feedback, Complaints and Your Rights | NHS Inform
For information on legal advice and support, visit Action Against Medical Accidents
To find a solicitor, visit Find a solicitor | Scottish Legal Aid Board
For information about getting help with legal costs, visit Help with legal costs | Citizens Advice Scotland
There is a time limit of three years to begin legal action for medical negligence, although in certain circumstances this can be extended. For children, the three years starts when they are 18 years old. If they do not have the capacity, then there is effectively no time limit.
Complaints about a GP practice, dental surgery, pharmacy or optician are handled directly by the shop manager or practice.
Complaints about any other NHS service are handled by your local health board. For more information, please click here (link to Complaints page).
The NHS may:
- Answer your questions/give you an explanation about what happened.
- Apologise.
- Review their procedures or policy highlighted to make a change.
- Improve the service they provide.
- Ask if you want to go to a meeting with them to discuss your complaint (PASS can accompany you to the meeting).
You can ask the NHS to meet with you (we can help arrange this, help you prepare questions and may be able to come to the meeting with you) or you can take the complaint to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (we can help you with this).
NHS needs to write to you with a full response within 20 working days of receiving your complaint at the investigation stage. In some cases, the NHS may need more time to give you a full response. If this happens, NHS staff should let you know and tell you why.
If you have not received a response after the time limit, contact the appropriate person at the Health Board or the practice manager to ask why there has been a delay and when you can expect a response. An adviser will be happy to help you with this.
For more information, please go to NHS Feedback, Complaints and Your Rights | NHS Inform
The chatbot on the bottom right of the screen can help with this. Alternatively, for information on how to access your medical records, please visit NHS inform website.
