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CION Cancer Clinics
Raising a complaint about surgical care | CION Cancer Clinics
To complain about surgical care, start by asking the surgical team for a meeting and copies of your records. If that does not settle it, write to the hospital's grievance office. Concerns about a doctor's conduct can go to the State Medical Council, and claims for compensation to the Consumer Commission. If the problem is still happening, get medical care first. CION Cancer Clinics’ surgical oncologists in Hyderabad can talk this through with you.
MI
Medically reviewed by Dr. Mohammed ImaduddinConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS, MS (General Surgery), MCh (Surgical Oncology) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- How do you complain about surgical care in India?
- Which route should you try first, and which next?
- What should a written complaint include?
- What can each route actually give you?
- Will complaining affect your treatment?
- What stops families from raising a concern?
- Common questions about complaints after surgery
The short answer
How do you complain about surgical care in India?
Start with the surgical team, then write to the hospital's patient relations or grievance office. If that does not resolve it, a complaint about a doctor's conduct can go to the State Medical Council, and a claim for compensation can go to the Consumer Commission.
Why the order matters
Most concerns after an operation are about communication. Nobody explained the delay, a result was not shared, or a family felt ignored on the ward. These are usually settled fastest by the people involved. Going straight to a council or a commission is slower, and it does not get you answers any sooner.
Separate the questions you have
It helps to decide what you actually want. Do you want an explanation of what happened? An apology? A change so it does not happen to someone else? A refund or compensation? Action against a doctor? Each of these points to a different route, and a letter that asks for one clear thing gets a clearer reply.
Who this page is not for
If you are unhappy with the result of an operation but no one did anything wrong, a complaint may not give you what you are looking for. Some complications happen even with careful surgery. A meeting with the surgeon, or an independent second opinion, often answers the question better.
This page gives general information, not legal advice. For a claim for compensation, speak to a lawyer who handles medical cases.
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Get care first, complain later
If the problem is still happening, the complaint can wait a day. Bleeding that will not stop, a wound that has opened or is leaking pus, a fever with shivering, severe tummy pain, trouble breathing or being unable to pass urine all need a doctor today. Go to the hospital that operated, or the nearest emergency department, and tell them the date and type of your operation. Do not delay treatment because you have lost trust in the team.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistStep by step
Which route should you try first, and which next?
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Ask for a meeting with the surgeon
Request a sit-down meeting with the operating surgeon or the head of the department. Bring a family member and a written list of questions. Ask what happened, why, and what happens now.
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Request copies of your records
Ask the medical records department for the operation note, anaesthesia record, discharge summary and pathology report. Indian medical ethics rules expect doctors to provide these when a patient asks.
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Write to the hospital
Send a dated letter or email to the patient relations or grievance officer, or to the medical superintendent. Accredited hospitals are expected to have a written complaints process. Ask for a written reply.
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Use the scheme's grievance cell, if one paid
If the operation was under Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS or EHS, those schemes have their own grievance channels, especially for billing and denied treatment.
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The State Medical Council
For concerns about a registered doctor's professional conduct, the Telangana State Medical Council accepts written complaints. It can discipline a doctor. It does not award compensation.
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The Consumer Commission
For compensation, a case can be filed at the District Consumer Commission. Time limits apply, so do not leave it too long, and take legal advice before filing.
Before you write
What should a written complaint include?
A complaint that can be checked against the record gets a faster and fuller answer than one that describes feelings alone.
The basic details
The patient's full name, hospital registration number, the surgeon's name and the date of admission and operation.
If you are writing for a parent
- Say how you are related
- Attach the patient's signed consent to you writing, if they are able
What happened, in order
A short dated list of events. Who said what, and when. Keep to what you saw or were told. Leave out guesses about motive, which make a letter easier to dismiss.
Copies of documents
Discharge summary, bills, prescriptions, consent form and any messages. Send copies and keep the originals safe at home.
Photograph every page of the file before you hand anything over.What you are asking for
Name it plainly. An explanation, a meeting, a corrected bill, a review of the case, or a change in practice. Ask for a reply in writing by a reasonable date.
Leave a number, we will call you
One field. No form to fill in, and no charge for the call.
Side by side
What can each route actually give you?
Where you complain
What it can do
The surgical team
Explain what happened and change the plan for your ongoing care
The hospital's grievance office
Review the case, correct bills and change hospital practice
The State Medical Council
Examine a doctor's conduct and take disciplinary action
The Consumer Commission
Decide whether service was deficient and order compensation
Being straight with you
Will complaining affect your treatment?
It should not. Raising a concern is a normal part of hospital care, and your treatment must continue whatever you have written. If you are in the middle of cancer treatment, do not stop it or delay it because a complaint is open.
If you would rather move to another team
You can ask for your care to be transferred, either to another surgeon in the same hospital or to another centre. Ask for a full copy of your records and a referral letter so the new team does not start from nothing. A gap in cancer care usually does more harm than staying with a team you are unhappy with for a short while.
What a complaint cannot do
It cannot undo what has happened, and it will not always end with the finding you expect. A council or commission weighs whether the care fell below a reasonable standard, not whether the outcome was bad. Formal cases can take a long time and are tiring for a family already dealing with cancer.
What it often does achieve
A clear written explanation. A corrected bill. A named person responsible for fixing a problem. Sometimes, a change that protects the next patient.
Keep a simple folder with every letter, reply and date. It saves a lot of stress later.Commonly believed
What stops families from raising a concern?
"If we complain, the doctors will treat him badly."
Hospitals are expected to keep complaints separate from care. If you are worried, say so in your letter and ask the grievance officer how your care will be protected. Most teams respond by being more careful to explain, not less.
"A complication means someone was negligent."
Not on its own. Many complications are known risks that happen with careful surgery. What matters is whether the risk was explained, spotted in time and handled properly. Your records and an independent opinion help answer that.
"You need a lawyer before you can complain at all."
You do not need one to speak to the team, write to the hospital or write to the Medical Council. Legal advice matters when you are thinking of a claim for compensation.
"We should post about it online first to get attention."
Public posts can harm your privacy and sometimes lead to a defamation dispute. Put your concern in writing to the hospital first, where it has to be answered.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about complaints after surgery
Can I complain on behalf of my father or mother?
Yes. Hospitals usually accept complaints from a close family member. If your parent is able to, ask them to sign a short note saying they agree to you raising it. This matters because the hospital will need permission to share medical details with you in its reply.
The hospital refused to give us the case file. What now?
Put the request in writing to the medical superintendent, naming the documents you want and keeping a copy. Indian medical ethics rules expect doctors to share records with patients on request. If the request is still refused, mention that refusal in any complaint you later send to the State Medical Council.
Is there a time limit for making a complaint?
Hospitals and councils generally prefer complaints raised soon after events, while memories and records are fresh. Consumer Commission cases have a legal time limit counted from when the problem arose. If you are considering a formal claim, take legal advice early rather than waiting to see how things settle.
What is the difference between the Medical Council and a consumer case?
The Medical Council looks at a doctor's professional conduct and can warn, suspend or remove a registration. It does not pay you anything. The Consumer Commission looks at whether the service fell short and can order compensation. Some families use both, for different purposes.
Should we go to the police?
Only in rare cases of reckless behaviour, not for a complication or an error of judgement. Courts in India have said doctors should not be prosecuted without an independent medical opinion first. For most surgical concerns, the hospital, the Medical Council or the Consumer Commission are the right places.
Our complaint is about the bill, not the surgery. Where do we go?
Ask the billing department for an itemised bill and compare it with the estimate you were given. Raise differences in writing with the hospital. If a scheme such as Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS or EHS was involved, or cashless insurance, contact that scheme or insurer as well.
Can I get a second opinion while the complaint is open?
Yes, and it is often wise. Take full copies of your records to an independent surgical oncologist. They can tell you whether what happened is a recognised risk of that operation and what your ongoing care should look like. Their view may also help you decide whether to take the complaint further.
What if we just want an apology?
Say so plainly in your letter. Many families want acknowledgement more than anything else, and a meeting with the surgeon and a senior manager is often the way to get it. Saying clearly what would settle the matter helps the hospital respond to what you actually need.
Meet the Specialists
17+ senior cancer specialists. One panel for your case.
Trained at AIIMS, Tata Memorial, and leading international centres. Combined 150+ years of experience. Every complex case is reviewed by 3+ of them — together.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vinay Mamidala
MBBS, MS(General Surgery), M.Ch(Surgical Oncology), FMAS, FARIS(Ongoing)
Surgical Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Hematologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vajja Sandeep Kumar
MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DrNB (Surgical Oncology), FALS Oncology
Surgical Oncologist
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Accreditation and empanelment
- NABH
- NABL
- ISO 9001:2015
- ArogyaSri empanelled
- CGHS accepted
- ECHS accepted
- EHS accepted
- Major cashless insurers
Paying for it
Insurance, schemes and payment
What you actually pay usually differs a great deal from the sticker figure.
AarogyasriEmpanelled. Bring the card and a referral where you have one.
CGHS / ECHS / EHSAccepted at CION centres for eligible treatment.
Cashless insuranceMost major insurers are empanelled. Pre-authorisation is handled by our desk.
Self-payItemised estimate given before treatment starts. No EMI scheme exists.
Where to find us
Our centres in and around Hyderabad
Addressed by landmark, because that is how this city navigates. A surgical consultation can be booked at any of these centres through one helpline, and your team will tell you where the operation itself takes place.
Warangal
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Sources
- NHS — How to complain to the NHS
- NHS — How to access your health records
- Macmillan Cancer Support — Cancer information and support
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
Medical Negligence vs Known ComplicationWhether what happened was a known risk or a failure of careGetting Your Operation Notes and ImagesThe records to request before you writeComplications and Red FlagsSigns after surgery that need a doctor todayCost, Insurance and Schemes for Cancer SurgeryIf your concern is about the bill or scheme cover
Talk to us
Want an independent look at what happened?
Tell us what has happened so far and we will help you reach a surgical oncologist who can read your records with you. One helpline serves every CION centre.