Writing a Strong Complaint Letter to a Hospital (with Sample)
Use this sample complaint letter to a hospital as a template for your formal complaint letter.
Last updated on July 27th, 2022
If a patient or the legal guardian of a patient is dissatisfied by the treatment they received while in a hospital, he or she has the right to formally complain.
The first step is to find out where to take a complaint at the hospital and try to meet someone personally. If the patient does not receive satisfaction through these means, they should next write a complaint letter.
A complaint letter to a hospital may be addressed directly to the nurse, doctor or other person responsible for the dissatisfaction. The letter can also be directed to the head of the department or head of the hospital.
If no satisfactory response is received from any of these places, a formal complaint can be filed with the Board of Health or other regulatory agency.
The following things should be included in the complaint letter to a hospital:
The first step is to find out where to take a complaint at the hospital and try to meet someone personally. If the patient does not receive satisfaction through these means, they should next write a complaint letter.
A complaint letter to a hospital may be addressed directly to the nurse, doctor or other person responsible for the dissatisfaction. The letter can also be directed to the head of the department or head of the hospital.
If no satisfactory response is received from any of these places, a formal complaint can be filed with the Board of Health or other regulatory agency.
The following things should be included in the complaint letter to a hospital:
- The name, address and phone number of the complainant
- The date of the treatment and name of the person who gave the treatment
- The complaint should be briefly described
- Possible outcomes of the complaint should be mentioned
- Copies of supporting documents should be attached
Hospitals are Notoriously Slow to Respond to Complaints
Hospitals are notoriously slow to respond to complaint letters, which can be very frustrating for the sender. It may save a lot of grief if the complainant understands what they can expect.
The sender can ask a hospital representative about the procedures for handling complaints. They can ask who will see the complaint letter and what possible actions may be taken.
They can also ask how long it will take to get a response and if any information about the process will be given. The hospital complaints staff may help the patient set times when they can hope to get some information.
Before writing the letter, it is important for the patient to decide what results they hope to see. They may want an apology or changes made in the procedures at the hospital. They may even want someone to be reprimanded or fired. This will be part of the complaint letter.
Prepare for Writing
Prepare for writing the letter. It will help the position of the complainant if they write down everything they can remember regarding the treatment. Names, dates and specific occurrences should be noted down for future reference. Patients should gather any objective evidence they can. Otherwise, the complaint may become one person’s word against another’s.
Prepare for Writing
Prepare for writing the letter. It will help the position of the complainant if they write down everything they can remember regarding the treatment. Names, dates and specific occurrences should be noted down for future reference. Patients should gather any objective evidence they can. Otherwise, the complaint may become one person’s word against another’s.
As mentioned earlier, the patient should find out to whom to direct the letter. It may be the same person they talked to earlier. They may also want to direct the letter to the head of the hospital.
The letter should be sent by registered post, so the patient has proof of sending and that the letter was received. No original documents should be sent and a copy of the exact package sent to the hospital should be sent by the patient to him or herself.
Here is a sample of a complaint letter about treatment in a hospital:
The letter should be sent by registered post, so the patient has proof of sending and that the letter was received. No original documents should be sent and a copy of the exact package sent to the hospital should be sent by the patient to him or herself.
Here is a sample of a complaint letter about treatment in a hospital:
Sample Complaint Letter to a Hospital
Patient’s Name
Patient’s Address
City, State, Zip Code
Phone number
Date
Name of Contact Person
Name of Hospital
Hospital Address
City, State, Zip Code
Re: Service provided in emergency room
Dear Mr/Ms Name of Person,
On March 25th this year, I entered your emergency room for treatment of a painful arm. I waited for two hours while in excruciating pain before being admitted into the examining room where I was seen by Doctor Name and Nurse Name. An X-ray was taken, and I was told there was no serious problem and was given some pain killers.
Since the pain did not subside after two days, I went to Name of other Hospital, where an X-ray was taken that showed my arm was fractured.
Since I suffered unnecessarily, I would like to know that the doctor and nurse who attended to me in your hospital have been reprimanded for this negligence. Enclosed are copies of the documents from the second hospital.
I know the emergency room was very crowded, but when I finally saw a doctor, I expected an accurate diagnosis.
Kindly let me know what, if any, action will be taken in this case. I am home every day and can be reached at 555 123 4567 or [email protected]
Sincerely,
Patient’s signature
Patient’s name
List of enclosures
By Andre Bradley
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