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Where to raise a patient safety concern
If you are worried about patient safety in a hospital, you should speak up as soon as possible. Infection control problems, such as poor hand hygiene, dirty equipment, or unsafe isolation practices, should be reported promptly.
The first step is often to tell the ward nurse, nurse in charge, doctor, or ward manager. If the issue is urgent, ask to speak to the matron, infection prevention and control team, or the site manager.
How to report infection control problems
Most hospitals have a formal complaints or concerns process. You can report the issue in person, by phone, by email, or through the hospital’s patient advice and liaison service, often called PALS.
You can also ask for the hospital’s infection prevention and control team. They are responsible for investigating concerns about cleaning, isolation, hand hygiene, outbreaks, and other infection risks.
If the problem is serious and immediate, such as a patient being exposed to a dangerous infection risk, tell staff straight away and ask that it is escalated urgently.
Using PALS and formal complaints
PALS can help you raise concerns informally and may be able to get a quicker response. This can be useful if you are unsure who to contact or want help explaining the problem.
If the issue is not resolved, you can make a formal complaint to the hospital trust. Keep a note of dates, times, names, and what you saw, as this can help the hospital investigate properly.
When to contact external organisations
If you do not think the hospital has dealt with the problem properly, you can take your concern further. In England, you can contact the Care Quality Commission if you believe there is a serious safety or cleanliness issue.
You may also be able to raise the concern with your local integrated care board, especially if the issue affects care across services. In some cases, NHS England may also be relevant, depending on the service involved.
What to include in your report
Be clear and specific about what happened. Include where it happened, what infection control problem you noticed, who was involved, and whether any patient was put at risk.
If you have photos, keep them only if it is appropriate and safe to do so, and never breach hospital rules or patient privacy. Focus on facts, not assumptions, so the concern can be reviewed properly.
Getting support and staying safe
You have the right to raise a concern without being treated unfairly. If you are a patient, relative, or visitor, you can ask for support from PALS, a patient advocate, or a trusted family member.
If the situation feels urgent or you think someone is in immediate danger, tell staff straight away and ask for senior help. Acting quickly can help prevent infection and protect patients, visitors, and staff.
Frequently Asked Questions
Report patient safety worries about infection control in hospital is the process of raising concerns when you notice possible infection risks, unsafe hygiene practices, or lapses in cleaning, isolation, or protective procedures.
Patients, family members, visitors, and staff should use report patient safety worries about infection control in hospital whenever they notice something that could increase the risk of infection.
You should use report patient safety worries about infection control in hospital as soon as you notice concerns such as poor hand hygiene, dirty equipment, unclean rooms, or unsafe isolation practices.
You can report patient safety worries about infection control in hospital by speaking to a nurse, doctor, ward manager, patient liaison team, infection control team, or by using the hospital's complaint or incident reporting process.
You can include concerns such as missed handwashing, lack of gloves or masks, dirty surfaces, improperly cleaned medical devices, unsafe waste disposal, or failure to isolate a contagious patient.
Many hospitals allow anonymous reporting of patient safety worries about infection control in hospital, although the options vary. Check with the hospital's patient advice or complaints service for available methods.
Reporting patient safety worries about infection control in hospital should not negatively affect your care. Hospitals are expected to handle concerns professionally and protect patients from retaliation.
Report patient safety worries about infection control in hospital is usually reviewed by ward staff, managers, the infection control team, or the patient safety department, depending on the seriousness of the concern.
Include the date, time, ward or department, what you observed, who was involved if known, and why you believe there is a patient safety worry about infection control in hospital.
Report patient safety worries about infection control in hospital can be urgent if the issue may put patients at immediate risk, such as exposure to a known infection, lack of isolation, or contaminated equipment.
Before reporting patient safety worries about infection control in hospital, if it is safe to do so, you may first alert the nearest nurse or staff member so the issue can be addressed quickly.
Yes, family members can use report patient safety worries about infection control in hospital if they notice hygiene, cleaning, isolation, or PPE concerns that could affect a patient.
After you submit report patient safety worries about infection control in hospital, the hospital may investigate the concern, correct any immediate problems, and explain the outcome or next steps when possible.
Yes, report patient safety worries about infection control in hospital can often be made to patient relations, the hospital complaints office, the infection prevention team, or through a formal online or phone process.
If staff do not respond to report patient safety worries about infection control in hospital, you can escalate the concern to a senior nurse, ward manager, patient liaison service, or the hospital's formal complaints process.
Yes, report patient safety worries about infection control in hospital should be used for hand hygiene concerns, including staff not washing or sanitizing hands between patients or before procedures.
Yes, report patient safety worries about infection control in hospital can include dirty or improperly cleaned equipment, because contaminated devices can spread infections between patients.
Report patient safety worries about infection control in hospital focuses on immediate or potential safety risks, while a complaint may address service quality more broadly. A concern can also become a formal complaint if needed.
Yes, you should still report patient safety worries about infection control in hospital if something seems unsafe, even if you are not sure how serious it is. Staff can assess the risk.
You can follow up on report patient safety worries about infection control in hospital by asking the ward manager, patient support service, or complaints office for an update using any reference number or details you were given.
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