Completing the return

The KO41b should be completed with numbers of written complaints about GP services made by, or on behalf of, patients in the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.

A written complaint is one that is made in writing to any member of staff or is originally made orally and subsequently recorded in writing. Once it is recorded, it should be treated as though it was made in writing from the outset. Oral complaints and comments/suggestions that do not require investigation should not be included.

If a written communication contains more than one complaint that requires separate investigation, then each should be recorded and counted separately. However, where a single complaint covers several aspects of care, it should be recorded once in the summary section (as a new complaint), with each aspect of the complaint also being recorded.

The detailed breakdown of information, including age of the patient, status of the complainant, and the subject and professional areas of the complaint are only required for the the new complaints received in 2024 -2025. 

They are not required for the complaints recorded as brought forward from the previous reporting period as these details will have been included in the previous year’s collection.

Investigations instigated by outside agencies, for example the Police or Coroners Court, should NOT be included.

Where practices merge after 1 April, the closed practice is not required to make a submission but the practice which is open and currently exists as a merged organisation should submit the KO41b including complaints received from the closed practice. If the practice prefers to submit as two separate organisations this is also possible, please contact [email protected] if all the required practices are not available in the form.

Complaints received regarding GP practices that provide Out of Hours services (OOHs) should be recorded on the KO41b return.

Where integrated care boards (ICBs) directly employ doctors (or others) to provide OOHs then these complaints should be recorded on the KO41a so should NOT be included on the KO41b return.

Where practices received a complaint via their ICB if the practice investigated the complaint and replied to the complainant then it should be recorded by the practice.

If the ICB investigated the complaint and responded to the complainant, then the complaint will be recorded by the ICB. 

If practices are unsure who investigated the complaint, then it should be recorded by the practice.