11. What can I do if my treatment was private?

If your treatment was private, you need to follow the same steps as you would for NHS care, except that you won't be able to use the NHS complaints procedure. However, private hospitals and private clinics must by law have their own complaints procedure. If you are unhappy with the way your complaint was dealt with or have concerns about the standard of care, you should contact:

• the Healthcare Commission (in England); or
• the Care Standards Inspectorate for Wales. See 'Further help' for details.

If you are thinking about legal action, you may have claims against both your private doctor and the hospital or clinic where you were treated. Also, since you have contract with your private doctor or private hospital, or both, you may also be able to sue for breach of contract, as well as for negligence. The legal time limit for breach of contract is six years, but for most clinical negligence cases, you should assume that the three-year time limit will apply. See 'How long do I have to claim compensation?'. You will need to discuss this with a solicitor if you think it applies to you.