Proportionally fewer complaints against GPs upheld despite record number overall

The proportion of written complaints upheld against GPs fell to a new low last year despite a record number of complaints overall, new data has revealed.

The figures should be interpreted in their wider context of patient expectations, funding shortfalls and GP shortages, GP leaders have warned. 

NHS England data showed 123,444 written complaints were directly sent to GPs in the 2024/25 year – the highest figure among available data, going back to 2016. 

Despite the increase in overall complaints, the proportion recorded as ‘fully upheld’ (29.4%) is the lowest during that time. 

Similarly, exactly 50% of complaints were upheld overall (either ‘fully’ or ‘partially’), which is the second-lowest proportion among the data. 

The most common type of complaint received by GP practices related to ‘clinical treatment (including errors’ (15.0%), followed by ‘communications’ (13.4%) and ‘staff attitude/behaviour/values’ (12.4%). 

London was the region with the highest proportion of complaints which were fully upheld (33.9%), while NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin had the highest proportion among ICBs (56.2%) – although it received the fourth-fewest complaints of any ICB overall. 

The increase is part of a wider trend across all sectors of the NHS, which saw 256,777 written complaints in 2024/25 – also a record high. 

Doctor’s Association UK GP co-lead Dr Steve Taylor said perspective was important when interpreting the statistics. 

He told Pulse: ‘Receiving complaints is always regrettable and no GP or GP practice likes to receive them. There are often learning points, and some are vital, yet others reflect increasing expectations from patients which cannot be met with the current capacity of general practice. 

‘Demand is extremely high, nationally 380 million appointments are delivered each year with all the additional work required to provide a service for over 60 million people. 

‘With this in mind, 143,000 complaints nationally (the figure for primary care overall) can be seen as a small number and less than a third of these upheld. … Seven upheld complaints per GP practice on average is regrettable, but isn’t that many.’

Dr Taylor called on the Government to ‘provide the resources needed to deal with increasing demand’ as opposed to ‘raising expectations of an overwhelmed service’.

And RCGP chair Professor Kamila Hawthorne told Pulse the figures could in part be explained by a ‘rise in workload (that) has not been matched with much needed recruitment’. 

‘It’s important that when complaints are made, that lessons are learnt from them – ultimately, this is how care and services can improve. 

‘It isn’t easy to hear that so many patients haven’t been satisfied with their care over the last year, but it isn’t surprising that many issues are related to difficulties with access and long waits for appointments.  

‘GPs and our teams are working extremely hard to ensure their patients receive timely and safe care, against a backdrop of intense workload and workforce pressures – and we share our patients’ frustrations when they struggle to access the care they need.      

‘We’re in dire need of the thousands more GPs promised in the 10-Year Health Plan, and we look to the forthcoming 10-Year Workforce Plan to see how the Government plans to deliver them.

‘As part of this, we need to see more funding for GP practices, so they can hire the GPs they need – and retention initiatives to keep qualified GPs in the profession longer.’

The college has launched an open letter, which is still gathering signatures, urging the Government to ring-fence funding for unemployed and underemployed GPs ‘at all career stages’ as part of the anticipated new 10-year workforce plan for the NHS.

Earlier this month, primary care minister Stephen Kinnock was criticised by some GP leaders after encouraging patients to ‘take action’ should practices not fulfil new contractual obligations around online access.