Resources

Click the links below to download these documents.

Patient Support Organisations

The following organisations provide advice and support to patients in making complaints:

• The Patients Association
• The Private Patients’ Forum
• Citizens Advice Bureau
• MIND
• Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA)

Professional Regulators

The following organisations regulate particular professions and would investigate fitness to practice concerns.

• General Medical Council for complaints about a doctor
• Nursing and Midwifery Council for complaints about a nurse or midwife
• Health Care Professions Council for complaints about an allied health professional, e.g. a psychologist, physiotherapist or social worker
• Professional Standards Authority where your complaint is about another regulated professional or person on an accredited register. See information on other regulators and accredited registers here.

Systems Regulators

ISCAS works closely with the system regulators. These organisations regulate independent and NHS healthcare providers across the four countries and would investigate an alleged breach of regulation:

• Care Quality Commission (CQC) – England
• Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW) – Wales
• Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) – Scotland
• Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) – Northern Ireland

Healthcare Product Regulator

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) regulates medicines, medical devices and blood components for transfusion in the UK. If you have an issue about a side effect of a medicine, a faulty medicine, or an issue involving a medical device (including implants e.g. hip, knee, breast or mesh), you can provide feedback directly through the MHRA Yellow Card System.

Other organisations focused on quality in private healthcare

• Private Healthcare Information Network– PHIN is the independent, government-mandated source of information about private healthcare
• Independent Healthcare Partners Network– IHPN is the representative body for independent sector healthcare providers. IHPN does not handle complaints but will be able to provide information on providers
• The British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons
  www.bapras.org.uk
• The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons
  www.isaps.org 
• The European Associations of Societies of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons
  www.easaps.org
• The European Association of Plastic Surgeons
  www.euraps.org
• The Swiss Society of Plastic reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery
  www.plastic-surgery.ch 
• The European Federation of Associations of Burned persons
  www.euroburnfederation.org 
• The Birmingham Institute of Paediatric Plastic Surgery
  www.bipps.org.uk
• The website of The Royal College of Surgeons of England has information for patients
• Further information about breast implants is available from the Department of Health website
• The US Government report into the safety of silicone gel-filled breast implants may be viewed here
• Independent healthcare providers need to be registered with the Care Quality Commission. Registered providers must demonstrate that they meet standards for safety and quality of care, and are assessed regularly. Members of the public can check the Care Quality Commission website to see whether a provider is on the registered list
• All BAAPS members are on the Specialist Register of Plastic Surgery. The General Medical Council holds details of a surgeon’s qualifications
  www.gmc-uk.org
• https://iscas.cedr.com Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service