If you have concerns about your care
If you have concerns about your care, it's important that you raise these. There are organisations that can offer advice and support.
What's in the 'Your care' section?
- Your local pancreatic cancer specialist centre
- Healthcare team members
- How do I get a second opinion?
- Healthcare at home
- Homecare and social care
- Who do I contact in an emergency?
- What do I do if I have concerns about care?
- What are palliative care and supportive care?
- Thinking about your future care
NHS care
If you have concerns about your NHS care, then talk to the doctor or nurse first. It is important for you to raise any concerns you have. If talking to the doctor or nurse doesn’t help things, you may want to take the issue further.
The following organisations offer free, confidential advice, as well as support in making a complaint if you decide to.
- In England, you can speak to the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS). Find out more on the NHS website. Your local Healthwatch service can also help if you want to make a complaint.
- In Scotland, you can speak to the Patient Advice and Support Service (PASS). Find out about them from Citizens Advice Scotland.
- In Wales, you can speak to Llais for support raising your concerns. Find out more from the Llais website.
- In Northern Ireland, the Patient and Client Council can help you with your complaint. Find out more from the nidirect website.
If you are not happy with the response you receive, you can contact the Ombudsman. This is an organisation that handles health complaints. These include:
- the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman in England
- the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman
- the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales
- the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman.
Private healthcare
With private healthcare, you can make a complaint directly with the clinic or hospital. If the situation isn’t sorted out you can contact the Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service (ISCAS) or any of the following organisations.
- The Care Quality Commission in England
- Healthcare Improvement Scotland or the General Medical Council in Scotland
- The Public Services Ombudsman for Wales or the Healthcare Inspectorate in Wales
- The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority in Northern Ireland.
Citizens Advice have more information about complaining about private healthcare.
May 2024
To be reviewed May 2027