If something has gone wrong
Tell us. A complaint is how we find out that something in this service does not work, and it is answered by a person rather than filed. This page says exactly what happens to one.
How to complain
There is no form to fill in and no particular wording to use. Email [TO BE SUPPLIED] with "complaint" in the subject line, or message us from your account if it is about your own treatment — that route reaches us with your clinical record attached, which usually means a faster and better answer.
It helps if you can tell us your order number or the date, what happened, who you dealt with if you know, and what outcome you are looking for. If you cannot remember the detail, send it anyway — we can find the record.
- 1
Tell us
Email us with "complaint" in the subject line, or message us from your account if it concerns your own treatment. Say what happened, when, and what you would like us to do about it. If it is easier to tell us by telephone, do — we will write down what you say and send it back to you to check.
- 2
We acknowledge it
We confirm we have received it within [TO BE CONFIRMED] working days, tell you who is looking into it, and ask for anything else we need.
- 3
We investigate
Someone not involved in what you are complaining about looks at the record of it — the consultation, the clinical decisions, the messages, the dispensing and the delivery. Where a clinical judgement is in question, our superintendent pharmacist reviews it.
- 4
We write back
We give you a written answer within [TO BE CONFIRMED] working days: what we found, whether we got it wrong, what we are doing about it, and what you can do if you are not satisfied. If it is going to take longer than that, we tell you why and when to expect it.
The two timescales above are shown as [TO BE CONFIRMED] because they have not yet been set. A published timescale is a commitment, so this page does not invent one. They appear here once our superintendent pharmacist has agreed them.
If you are not satisfied with our answer
Tell us first — say why, and our superintendent pharmacist will look at it again. That is usually quicker than anything else and it is the only route that can actually change what we did.
You do not have to come back to us first, though. You can raise a concern with our regulator at any point.
General Pharmaceutical Council
The GPhC regulates pharmacies, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in Great Britain and sets the standards this pharmacy works to. It looks at concerns about whether those standards are being met. It is not a route to a refund or to compensation — it does not settle disputes between a patient and a pharmacy.
Raise a concern with the GPhCThe prescriber's own regulator
A concern about the conduct of an individual prescriber goes to the regulator they are registered with — the GPhC for a pharmacist, the General Medical Council for a doctor, the Nursing and Midwifery Council for a nurse. Ask us who reviewed your consultation and which register they are on, and we will tell you.
A complaint about a suspected side effect or a defective medicine should also go to the MHRA through the Yellow Card scheme, which is a separate route with a different purpose — see report a side effect.
What we do with complaints
Every complaint is recorded with what it was about, what we found and what changed as a result. They are reviewed together rather than one at a time, because the same thing happening twice is a problem with the service and not with the order.
A complaint that concerns your care is part of your clinical record, and it is handled under our privacy notice like everything else in it.
Common questions
- Can I complain on behalf of someone else?
- Yes. We will need their consent before we can discuss their care with you, because their health information is theirs. If that is not possible, tell us and we will explain what we can still do.
- Will complaining affect my treatment?
- No. A complaint is not held against you and does not change how your consultations are assessed. If you would rather a different clinician reviewed your care from now on, say so and we will arrange it where we can.
- Is there a time limit?
- Tell us as soon as you can, because it is easier to look into something recent. We do not refuse a complaint because time has passed, but a very old one may be harder to answer fully.
- Can I complain anonymously?
- You can raise a concern anonymously and we will look at it. We will not be able to write back to you, and we cannot discuss anything specific to a patient record without knowing whose it is.