Patients across England have delivered their verdict on the care in NHS hospitals, revealing stark differences inpatient satisfaction across the country.
More than 139,000 written complaints were lodged against NHS hospitals last year, the highest figure on record since the current data set began.
Across the NHS as a whole – including hospitals, GPs and dentists – there were 305,264 complaints made to NHS England last year, up 18 per cent since 2024-25.
Now, the Daily Mail's exclusive map reveals where patients are least likely to complain – and the areas delivering subpar care, according to the public.
The biggest source of frustration was communication failures, which generated more than 42,800 complaints, NHS England data reveals.
Patient care, staff attitude and behaviour, and hospital waiting times also emerged as major sources of concern.
Grievances over appointments, delays and cancellations jumped by more than a quarter over the past year, while complaints about hospital waiting times surged 42 per cent.
However, just a fifth (21 per cent) of complaints about hospital services were upheld – the lowest proportion on record.
Hospitals in Greater Manchester brought in the highest number of complaints, with 9,188 grievances lodged by patients last year.
Of these, just over a fifth were upheld – meaning the trust found that the complaint was justified after investigation.
At the other end of the league table were hospitals in Hampshire & Isle of Wight, where just 3,630 complaints were recorded, and Kent & Medway.
Last year, the Government made data ranking hospitals, ambulance services and mental health providers public for the first time.
Former health secretary Wes Streeting claimed the move would help 'end the postcode lottery of care' and reduce the 'unwarranted variation' in NHS care across the country.
Top hospitals were awarded greater freedoms and investments, while senior managers at NHS trusts that consistently rank poorly could see their pay docked, the Department of Health and Social Care said.
Yet the latest figures suggest patients' experiences continue to vary widely depending on where they are treated.
While complaint numbers are partly shaped by population size, the data reveal striking geographical differences.
Three of the five NHS areas recording the highest number of hospital complaints were in northern England, with Greater Manchester, North East & North Cumbria and West Yorkshire accounting for almost one in six complaints lodged last year.
At the same time, hospitals located in the South of England not only attracted fewer complaints but were also more likely to uphold them.
In Hampshire & Isle of Wight, more than four in ten complaints were upheld, roughly double the proportion seen in Greater Manchester, suggesting trusts were more willing to accept patients' concerns and take corrective action after investigation.
The pattern broadly echoes previous NHS performance rankings, which found many of England's highest-rated trusts were concentrated in the South.
By contrast, trusts serving some of the country's most deprived communities have continued to struggle with demand, staffing shortages and long waiting lists.
Major specialist centres often buck the trend.
Hospitals providing highly specialised cancer, cardiac and children's services routinely treat patients from far beyond their local area, meaning they face some of the highest patient volumes and most complex cases in the NHS.
As a result, high complaint volumes do not necessarily indicate poor-quality care.
It comes as the latest NHS data revealed the waiting list for routine hospital treatment in England rose for the first time since March.
More than seven million treatments were outstanding at the end of August after several months of decline.
The NHS aims to see 95 per cent of patients within four hours.
But last month, more than 25 per cent waited more than four hours to be seen at emergency departments, with the health service having failed to meet its waiting time target since 2015.
Hospitals have also seen an increase in corridor care since before the pandemic, with patients regularly spending more than 45 minutes waiting for an appropriate place to be treated.
An NHS England spokesman said: 'Despite NHS staff managing unprecedented demand, the number of upheld complaints is falling at the same time as patient satisfaction is also beginning to rise again.
'We know there is much to do which is why we have published new NHS standards which set out how organisations should ensure patients are regularly updated while on waiting lists and given at least three weeks’ notice about upcoming appointments, and we would encourage patients to continue feedbacking to their local service so that we can build on this further.'
What to do if you think the NHS has let you down
According to a recent YouGov poll, around a fifth of patients who experience poor care do not know how to register their complaints.
Patients who are unhappy with their care should first raise concerns with the hospital, GP practice or NHS service involved.
Under NHS guidelines, complaints should normally be made within 12 months of the incident, or within 12 months of becoming aware that something went wrong.
Patient advocacy groups recommend keeping a record of exactly what happened – including appointment letters, emails and test results – and clearly explaining what outcome you are seeking.
According to the health service's website, NHS England will acknowledge all complaints no later than three working days after the complaint has been received.
The complaint will be investigated and patients will receive a written response – detailing, where appropriate, if the health service was able to learn and improve as a result.
Free support is available through local NHS complaints services, which can help patients draft complaints, gather evidence and navigate the process.
Patients can find their local service via VoiceAbility, or through their local council.
If patients remain dissatisfied after a complaint has been investigated locally, the matter can then be escalated to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO), which independently reviews complaints about NHS services in England.
Complaints can be submitted online via the PHSO website, by phone or in writing after the NHS complaints process has been completed.
If the Ombudsman finds a patient has been treated unfairly, it can order NHS bodies to apologise, provide a full explanation of what went wrong and make changes to prevent the same mistakes happening again.
In some cases, patients may also be entitled to financial compensation if they have suffered as a result of poor administration or failures in care.