Complaints are not the same as lawsuits
This article covers the routes you can use without a lawyer: provider complaints, ombudsmen, regulators and professional bodies. They're usually free, slower than people expect, and better at getting explanations, apologies, corrected records and changes in practice than at getting money. Compensation for harm usually means a legal claim, which we cover separately in malpractice law and patient protections by country.
Many people use both: a complaint to get answers and records, then legal advice if the answers suggest negligence.
The complaint ladder, step by step
Raise it with the provider
Almost every system expects you to start with the hospital or clinic. Ask for its formal complaints process in writing, the name of the person responsible, and when you can expect a reply. Independent bodies often won't look at a case until the provider has had a chance to respond.
Escalate to an independent body
If the provider's answer doesn't resolve it, the next step is usually an ombudsman, a health regulator or an inspectorate. These bodies review how the complaint was handled and whether care fell below standard.
Report the professional
Concerns about an individual doctor's conduct or competence go to the body that licenses or disciplines them, such as a medical board, council or professional tribunal. Its job is to protect the public, not to resolve your personal dispute.
Consider other routes
Billing and payment problems may have their own routes, such as a dispute with your card issuer. Hospitals that advertise accreditation can also be reported to the accrediting organisation. Legal action sits outside this ladder.
How three systems compare
| Feature | England (NHS) | Colombia | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Final independent complaint body | Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) | State inspection, surveillance and control bodies required by law | No single national body; state medical boards and other regulators |
| Patient right in law to complaint channels | NHS complaints process; PHSO for unresolved cases | Yes: to know the formal channels and get a written reply (Ley 1751, Art. 10) | Varies by state and setting |
| Right to see and copy records | Not covered in the sources we reviewed; ask the provider | Yes, free to consult, with copies (Ley 1751, Art. 10) | Yes, under HIPAA |
| Professional discipline | Professional regulators | Professional tribunals and control bodies (Ley 1751, Art. 17) | State medical boards |
England: the ombudsman route
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman handles complaints about the NHS in England and about UK government services. It's the last stage after a complaint has gone through the NHS organisation itself. Expect it to take time. The ombudsman's website currently warns of waits of up to eight months for NHS cases, and reports a 31% rise over the past year in complaints needing further investigation (accessed October 2026). Its NHS remit is England.
The PHSO deals with the NHS in England. If you pay privately at home or abroad, its remit is the wrong place to start. Check what the private provider's own complaints process is, and whether it belongs to an independent complaints scheme.
Colombia: rights written into the health law
The law that governs Colombia's health system, Ley 1751 de 2015, sets out patient rights in Article 10. Several bear directly on complaints:
- The right to know the formal channels for complaints, claims and suggestions, and to receive a written response.
- The right to consult your medical record free of charge and obtain copies, with the record kept confidential.
- The right to ask for an explanation or account of the costs of your treatment.
- The right to clear information to make free, informed decisions about procedures and risks.
The law also requires the state to maintain inspection, surveillance and control through specialised bodies and to define a sanctions regime (Article 5). Sanctions for breaching professional autonomy or safety are handled by professional tribunals and inspection bodies (Article 17). The law itself doesn't name a single complaints agency. If a provider doesn't resolve your complaint, ask it, or Colombia's national health superintendency (Superintendencia Nacional de Salud), which body handles that type of case.
Write your complaint in Spanish if you can, or attach a translation. Keep the filing reference, and ask the provider in writing for its formal complaints channel. The law gives you the right to be told it.
United States: records first
US complaint routes are spread across states and agencies. State medical boards license and discipline doctors, and hospitals have their own grievance processes. One federal right underpins all of them. Under HIPAA, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services (reviewed May 2025), you can generally inspect and get copies of your medical and billing records. A provider can't refuse because you haven't paid your bill. It may charge reasonable copying and mailing costs, but not search or retrieval fees. You can ask for errors to be corrected, and if the provider refuses you can add a statement of disagreement to your record.
Why this is harder when you were treated abroad
- Distance. You may be home before you realise something went wrong, and meetings or hearings may be held in another country.
- Language. Forms, records and replies may be in a language you don't read.
- Deadlines. Complaint time limits differ by country and body, and they run while you're recovering.
- Jurisdiction. Regulators at home generally can't act on a foreign hospital or doctor. You have to use the system where you were treated.
That's why verification before booking matters so much. Before you book, use our checklist for investigating a hospital's safety history abroad.
Gather this before you leave the hospital
Complaints succeed or fail on documents. Before you fly home, ask for:
- Your full medical record, including the operative report, anaesthesia record and discharge summary.
- Signed consent forms showing what you were told about risks.
- Itemised invoices and proof of payment.
- The full names and registration numbers of the doctors involved.
- The hospital's formal complaints procedure, in writing.
- Details of any implants or devices used.
Then keep a dated timeline of symptoms, calls and messages. If you raise a complaint, do it in writing and keep copies of everything.
Health first, complaint second
If you have signs of a complication, get medical care before anything else. A complaint can wait a few days. A worsening infection or blood clot can't.
Timing your complaint
Complaint bodies generally expect you to act within a set period after the event, or after you became aware of the problem, and the limits vary by country and organisation. Don't wait until you've fully recovered to find out what yours is. A sensible order is: get medical care, request your records, write down your timeline while it's fresh, then submit the complaint to the provider. If you're considering legal action, get advice early, because legal time limits can be shorter than you expect and usually aren't paused by a complaint.
The Takeaway
Complaint systems everywhere follow a similar ladder: provider, independent body, professional regulator. England relies on its health ombudsman, Colombia writes complaint and records rights into its health law, and the US guarantees access to records under HIPAA. If you're treated abroad, collect your records and the hospital's complaints procedure before you leave. That paperwork is what makes any complaint possible.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the health ombudsman in England take?
The PHSO's website warned in October 2026 of waits of up to eight months for complaints about NHS services in England. You normally need to complain to the NHS organisation first.
Can I complain about a private hospital in Colombia?
Yes. Ley 1751 gives patients the right to know a provider's formal channels for complaints and claims and to receive a written response. Unresolved complaints about health services can go to Colombia's health authorities, and complaints about a doctor's conduct to the professional tribunals.
Can a US hospital refuse to give me my records because I owe money?
No. HHS guidance says a provider can't deny you a copy of your records because you haven't paid for services. It may charge reasonable copying and mailing costs.
Will a complaint get me compensation?
Usually not directly. Complaint routes tend to produce explanations, apologies, corrections and changes in practice. Compensation for harm generally needs a legal claim, so get legal advice if that's your goal.
Can my home country's regulator act against a foreign doctor?
Generally not. Professional regulators act on the doctors they license. For treatment abroad, you usually need to use the complaint and regulatory system of the country where you were treated.