Last updated 5 December 2022

A person might wish to make a complaint if:

  • a professional charged them too much or more than they agreed
  • the service was inadequate or different to what they expected
  • the professional engaged in misconduct or acted in an unprofessional manner
  • a professional caused damage to their property or person when undertaking their work
  • in medical cases, a procedure caused unexpected side-effects.

A complainant should consider what outcome they wish to achieve. Possible outcomes include:

  • receiving an apology or acknowledgement of a mistake
  • having a problem or mistake fixed
  • implementing change to prevent the same thing from happening to someone else
  • receiving compensation.

Receiving compensation is generally only possible in the most serious cases and usually requires consulting a lawyer.