Where to complain about healthcare — by country
Refused treatment, negligence, or a dispute over a hospital: these are the official health ministries, medical councils and health ombudsmen that take complaints in each country.
Complain through the facility's own process first and keep your records and reports — most health ombudsmen (like the UK's PHSO) will only look at a case after that. Report a specific doctor's misconduct to the medical council, and the facility or refusal-of-care to the health ministry.
| Country | Official body | Call | Online |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | HHS — Office for Civil RightsComplaints about medical-privacy (HIPAA) violations and health-care discrimination; ER care is protected by EMTALA, and Medicare/Medicaid issues go to CMS.Legal basis: HIPAA and the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) | — | www.hhs.gov/ocr |
| United Arab Emirates | Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP)Federal health regulator and the channel to report a hospital or clinic, a medical-licensing concern, or refusal of care.Legal basis: Federal health and medical-liability laws | — | mohap.gov.ae/en/home |
| Saudi Arabia | Ministry of HealthHealth ministry; 937 hotline for medical enquiries and for complaints about hospitals and clinics.Legal basis: Ministry of Health regulations | 937 | www.moh.gov.sa/en/Pages/default.aspx |
| Qatar | Ministry of Public HealthHealth ministry; complaints about healthcare facilities and occupational-health matters.Legal basis: Ministry of Public Health regulations | — | www.moph.gov.qa/english/Pages/default.aspx |
| Bahrain | Ministry of HealthHealth ministry / Supreme Council of Health; complaints about public and private health facilities.Legal basis: Health regulations (NHRA / Supreme Council of Health) | — | www.moh.gov.bh |
| Kuwait | Ministry of HealthHealth ministry; complaints about hospitals and clinics and occupational-health matters.Legal basis: Ministry of Health regulations | — | www.moh.gov.kw |
| Oman | Ministry of HealthHealth hotline (1212) for enquiries and the channel to report a hospital or clinic — including refusal of emergency treatment, which is prohibited at MoH facilities regardless of your status. Dial 9999 for a medical emergency.Legal basis: Health Insurance Law (Royal Decree 11/2019) | 1212 | www.moh.gov.om |
| India | Ministry of Health & Family WelfareHealth ministry; a hospital or clinic complaint goes to the state health authority, and a doctor's misconduct to the National Medical Commission.Legal basis: Clinical Establishments Act 2010 (where adopted) | — | www.mohfw.gov.in |
| Pakistan | PMDCComplaints of medical negligence or misconduct against registered doctors and dentists, and verification of a practitioner's registration.Legal basis: Pakistan Medical Commission Act 2020 | — | www.pmc.gov.pk |
| Bangladesh | Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS)Health directorate; complaints about hospitals and clinics and public-health services.Legal basis: Health regulations (DGHS / BMDC) | — | dghs.gov.bd |
| Indonesia | Ministry of HealthHealth ministry (SATUSEHAT platform); complaints about health facilities and services.Legal basis: Health Law (Law 17/2023) | — | kemkes.go.id |
| United Kingdom | Parliamentary & Health Service OmbudsmanEscalate unresolved NHS complaints (England) after the local complaints process. Scotland, Wales and NI have their own ombudsman.Legal basis: Health Service Commissioners Act 1993 | — | www.ombudsman.org.uk/making-complaint |
| Ireland | HSE — Your Service Your SayPublic health service; the 'Your Service Your Say' process handles complaints about a hospital, clinic or medical card.Legal basis: Health Act 2004 | — | www.hse.ie |
| France | Assurance Maladie (Ameli)Health-coverage access, reimbursements, and state medical aid (AME) for undocumented residents; complaints about care go to the hospital's users' commission or the ARS.Legal basis: Code de la santé publique | — | www.ameli.fr |
| Germany | Patient rights / ÄrztekammerPatient rights are set by federal law; a suspected treatment error can be reviewed free by your statutory health insurer (Krankenkasse) and by the regional medical association's (Ärztekammer) arbitration board.Legal basis: Patientenrechtegesetz (§§ 630a ff. BGB) | — | www.bundesgesundheitsministerium.de |
| Singapore | Ministry of HealthHealth-financing schemes (MediSave/MediShield) and the channel to raise concerns about a healthcare institution; the SMC handles doctor-conduct complaints.Legal basis: Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Act | — | www.moh.gov.sg |
| Denmark | Styrelsen for PatientklagerFree complaints about treatment or a health professional; injury compensation is handled separately by Patienterstatningen, and regional patient advisers (patientvejleder) give free guidance.Legal basis: Klage- og erstatningsloven (Act on the Right to Complain and Receive Compensation within the Health Service) | — | stpk.dk |
| Iceland | Embætti landlæknisReceives complaints about healthcare services and professionals and oversees patient safety.Legal basis: Act on the Medical Director of Health (Lög um landlækni) | — | www.landlaeknir.is |
| Canada | Provincial health / Patient OmbudsmanHealthcare is provincial: complaints about a hospital or clinic go to the provincial health ministry or patient ombudsman, and a doctor's conduct to the provincial College of Physicians.Legal basis: Canada Health Act and provincial health legislation | — | www.canada.ca/en/health-canada.html |
| Australia | Department of Health / Health ComplaintsMedicare and the PBS via Services Australia; complaints about a health service go to your state Health Complaints Commissioner, and private-health-insurance disputes to the Commonwealth Ombudsman.Legal basis: Health Insurance Act and state health-complaints legislation | — | www.health.gov.au |
| New Zealand | Health & Disability CommissionerFree, independent complaints about a health or disability service under the Code of Consumers' Rights; a free advocacy service can help you.Legal basis: Health and Disability Commissioner Act 1994 | — | www.hdc.org.nz/making-a-complaint |
| Mexico | IMSSSocial-security health coverage and worker registration; IMSS-Bienestar covers people without formal social security.Legal basis: Ley del Seguro Social | — | www.imss.gob.mx |
Each entry links to the official body and shows the date we last verified it. This is legal information, not advice, and we don't take payment to list anyone. See the full country directories for every channel, not just the headline one.