How to Deal with a Complaint
A complaint has landed, or you want to be ready for the day one does. This course teaches you to understand it fully, write a response that resolves rather than inflames, and know exactly what happens next, calmly and step by step.
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Is this you?
Most professionals who search for how to handle a complaint fall into one of these three situations.
A complaint has just landed and you don't know what to do first.
You want to respond well, but you also don't want to make it worse by reacting too quickly, saying the wrong thing, or missing something the complaint actually asked for.
You need to write the response itself.
You know you have to reply, and you want it to be honest, complete, and appropriately worded, including getting the apology right without admitting something you shouldn't.
You want to be ready before a complaint ever arrives.
No complaint has been made yet, but you know how common they are, and you would rather learn the calm, correct way to handle one now than learn it under stress later.
How you respond decides far more than what happened.
Most complaints are resolved locally and never go further, if they are handled well. This course gives you the method, in four steps.
About this course
What this course is about
How to Deal with a Complaint teaches UK healthcare professionals exactly what to do when a complaint is made against them: how to understand it fully, respond honestly and effectively, and reach a resolution, whether that happens locally or moves further.
It is calm and practical throughout, built around what actually resolves complaints rather than legal theory, including the one question almost everyone worries about: whether to apologise.
Does this cover full regulatory investigations too?
No, and that is deliberate. This course goes deep on handling a complaint itself, the part every professional faces far more often. If a complaint escalates into a formal fitness to practise investigation, the skills of demonstrating insight, writing a credible reflection, and evidencing remediation are covered properly, in full depth, in the other courses in this series, rather than compressed into a few lines here.
Should I apologise? Will it be used against me?
An apology is not, in itself, an admission of legal liability under UK law, and regulators including the GMC actively expect openness and apology as part of the duty of candour. Evidence from defence organisations shows that a genuine apology resolves far more complaints than a defensive response. This course has a full lesson on how to apologise well, and for what, without accepting liability you do not believe you owe.
What will I be able to do by the end?
- Respond well in the first 48 hours after a complaint arrives
- Read a complaint properly and establish the facts before responding
- Write a response with the right structure, tone, and honest apology
- Answer every point a complainant raises, without excuses or evasion
- Understand local resolution, escalation, and regulator involvement
- Turn a complaint into genuine learning, and look after yourself through it
What topics does it cover?
- What a complaint really is, and what tends to drive them
- The first 48 hours: what to do, and the one thing never to do to a record
- The emotional side of receiving a complaint
- Reading a complaint properly and separating its distinct points
- Establishing the facts from records, not memory
- When to contact your defence organisation
- Structure, tone, and the apology question
- Answering every point, with a full worked example
- Local resolution, meetings, and the escalation ladder to the Ombudsman
- What changes when your regulator becomes involved
- Turning a complaint into learning, evidence, and improvement
Who is it for, and which regulator?
All UK-registered healthcare professionals across the eight regulators: doctors (GMC), nurses and midwives (NMC), dentists (GDC), pharmacists (GPhC), allied health professionals (HCPC), opticians (GOC), chiropractors (GCC) and osteopaths (GOsC). It suits anyone facing a complaint now, or wanting to be ready before one arrives.
How long is it and is it CPD?
Approximately 2 hours, worth 2 CPD hours. Self-paced, with knowledge checks throughout and a final assessment at an 80% pass mark. You also get a complaint action checklist, a response structure template, and a reflective note template for your own portfolio.
Related courses
This course is one of seven in the CrownEthics Fitness to Practise series and is fully self-contained. If a complaint ever escalates into a formal concern, Insight, Reflection, and Remediation cover exactly what a regulator looks for next. None is required to complete this course.
Course Content
Frequently asked
questions.
Straight answers to what people ask about handling a complaint. If your question isn't here, get in touch.
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What should I do when a complaint is first made against me?
Acknowledge it promptly, but do not send a full response straight away. Preserve the records exactly as they are, tell the right people at your workplace, and take time to understand the complaint fully before you reply. This course covers exactly what to do in the first 48 hours.
Should I apologise? Will it be used against me?
An apology is not, in itself, an admission of legal liability under UK law, and regulators including the GMC expect openness and apology as part of the duty of candour. A genuine, specific apology resolves far more complaints than a defensive response does. The course has a full lesson on getting this right.
How long do I have to respond to a complaint?
Timescales vary by organisation, but most procedures expect a prompt acknowledgement within a few working days, with a fuller response agreed within a set period after that. Your workplace complaints procedure sets the exact timescale; the course explains how to use that time well rather than rushing a reply.
Does this course cover fitness to practise investigations too?
No, by design. This course goes deep on handling a complaint itself. If a complaint escalates into a formal investigation, the Insight, Reflection, and Remediation courses in this series cover what a regulator looks for next, in full depth rather than a brief summary.
What happens if the complainant is not satisfied with my response?
They have the right to escalate, first to an independent review and ultimately to an Ombudsman such as the PHSO in England. This does not mean you failed. Your response must clearly explain how to escalate, and a fair, well-documented local response remains your strongest position at any later stage.
What if my regulator becomes involved?
Contact your defence organisation, trade union, or a specialist solicitor immediately, before you respond. A regulatory matter is higher stakes than a local complaint and needs proper representation. The course explains how this differs from local resolution and where the rest of the series becomes relevant.
Can I amend a patient record after a complaint is made?
No. Never alter, add to, or delete a clinical record after a complaint. Any genuine late entry must be clearly dated and marked as retrospective. Amending a record to look better turns a defensible clinical complaint into a serious probity concern, which regulators treat with the utmost seriousness.
Do I need any other course first?
No. It is completely self-contained. It pairs naturally with How to Avoid a Complaint in this series, but neither that nor any other course is required.
Which regulator and profession is it for?
All eight UK healthcare regulators: GMC, NMC, GDC, GPhC, HCPC, GOC, GCC, and GOsC. The principles of handling a complaint well are consistent across every profession.
How long is it, and what do I get?
About 2 hours, worth 2 CPD hours, with a certificate on completion. You also get a complaint action checklist, a response structure template, and a reflective note template. Every lesson was reviewed by a medically qualified doctor (MBBS) before publication.
Still have a question?
Contact us at crownethics.com/uk/contact and we respond within one working day.
