A patient who made a complaint last week is now back on your ward. What does Section 24 require?

Provide the same standard of care as any other patient — sub-clause 24.1 explicitly prohibits letting the complaint prejudice care

Avoid the patient until another nurse can take over

Only do the minimum clinically required

Report them as difficult to your manager

What's the most common pattern in Section 24 fitness-to-practise outcomes?

Defensive responses — denying what's evident, blaming the complainant, evasive answers

Nurses being too sympathetic to complainants

Sharing complaint files publicly

Where do unresolved NHS complaints typically escalate after the trust's own complaints process?

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

How do Sections 24 and 14 (duty of candour) connect?

Proactive Section 14 candour after an incident often prevents the situation escalating to a formal Section 24 complaint

Section 14 only applies to GMC-registered staff

Part 3 of 8 The NMC Code, every section Chapter 50 of 100

NMC Code Section 24: Respond to Complaints

NMC Code Section 24 explained. Responding to complaints openly, the complaints process, and using complaints as service improvement.

Start reading ← Course contents ~5 min read

By JobLabs Editorial · UK healthcare reference editorial team

· May 11, 2026 · 2 min read

Section 24 of the Code covers responses to complaints.

“Respond to complaints openly, honestly and effectively.”

Sub-clauses:

24.1 Never allow someone’s complaint to prejudice the care you provide for them.
24.2 Give a constructive and honest response to anyone who complains about the care they have received.
24.3 Give a constructive and honest response to anyone who raises any other concern about your practice.

The section places professional responsibility on responding to complaints. Not just operationally getting through them, but constructively learning from them.

What it means in practice

Three principles:

Don’t retaliate. A complainant remains entitled to the same standard of care as any other patient. Subtle reduction in attention or warmth after a complaint is a Section 24 breach.

Respond honestly. Concede what should be conceded. Explain what should be explained. Don’t minimise.

Use complaints to improve. A pattern of similar complaints is data. The Section 24 obligation extends to making sure complaints aren’t just processed but acted on.

The complaints process in the NHS goes:

Local resolution: informal conversation, often with the ward manager.
Formal complaint: written, handled by the trust’s complaints team.
PALS: Patient Advice and Liaison Service for support.
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman: final independent stage.

Common breaches

Retaliation: reduced standard of care after a complaint.
Defensive response: denying what’s evident, blaming the complainant, evasive answers.
Procedural failure: not engaging with the trust’s complaints process.
Pattern non-recognition: repeated similar complaints not driving change.

CPD that maps to Section 24

Complaints handling training.
Customer service in healthcare.
Restorative practice and just culture.
Communication under pressure.
Quality improvement based on complaints themes.

Common reflective account themes

Strong Section 24 accounts describe:

A complaint you were part of resolving, what you learned from it, and the practice change that followed.
A pattern of similar complaints you noticed and the systemic response.
A difficult conversation with a complainant that ended constructively.

Where Section 24 connects to other sections

Section 14 (duty of candour): proactive disclosure of harm prevents many complaints.
Section 16 (raise concerns): complaints often reveal systemic issues.
Section 25 (leadership): leading a team to learn from complaints.

The next chapter covers the final Code section, Section 25 on leadership.

Sources & further reading

Key takeaway from NMC Code Section 24: Respond to Complaints

Frequently asked questions

What if a complaint feels unfair?

Engage with it anyway. A complaint that feels unfair may reflect a genuine misunderstanding or a piece of information you don't have. Defensive responses tend to escalate.

Do I have to respond personally to every complaint?

Not always. NHS complaints are usually handled through the trust's complaints process and routed to the relevant clinician. Your role is to contribute honestly to the response.

What CPD maps to Section 24?

Complaints handling training, customer service in healthcare, restorative practice, communication under pressure, and quality improvement based on complaint themes.

Check your understanding

Quick quiz: NMC Code Section 24: Respond to Complaints

4questions. Click an answer to see the explanation. Your score is saved on this device only.

1
A patient who made a complaint last week is now back on your ward. What does Section 24 require?
Sub-clause 24.1 is explicit: never allow someone's complaint to prejudice the care you provide for them. A complainant retains the same entitlement to your professional care as any other patient. Subtle reduction in warmth or attention after a complaint is itself a Section 24 breach.
2
What's the most common pattern in Section 24 fitness-to-practise outcomes?
Defensive responses are the typical Section 24 failure pattern. The Code expects constructive, honest engagement: concede what should be conceded, explain what should be explained, don't minimise. Evidence shows constructive responses reduce, rather than increase, the likelihood of escalation.
3
Where do unresolved NHS complaints typically escalate after the trust's own complaints process?
The PHSO (Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman) is the final independent stage for NHS complaints not resolved through the trust's own process. The trust process must be exhausted first. The NMC may also be informed by the patient if professional conduct is in question, but the routes are separate.
4
How do Sections 24 and 14 (duty of candour) connect?
The two sections work together. Early, open candour conversations (Section 14) after a near-miss or incident often prevent the escalation to a formal complaint (Section 24). Evidence shows that defensive non-disclosure increases complaint and litigation risk; openness reduces both.