How to report a
product, service, or
adverse reaction
Every report you make helps improve safety and accountability for all medical cannabis patients in the UK. Here is who to contact and when.
How Reporting Works
Contact your provider
Most issues can be resolved directly. Always try this first.
Escalate if needed
Use ISCAS, the GMC, or your national care regulator if your concern is not resolved.
Report side effects
Use the MHRA Yellow Card for adverse drug reactions.
Contact PatientsCann
We can support you if you are struggling to get heard.
Regulatory Bodies
Who to Report To
If you have a concern about your clinic or pharmacy that hasn't been resolved directly with the provider, ISCAS provides an independent adjudication service.1 Most private healthcare providers and some NHS Trust Private Patient Units use ISCAS. Check whether your provider is a member via their website.
When to use: After you have already attempted to resolve the issue directly with your provider and remain unsatisfied with their response.
Note: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) does not handle individual complaints, but it does use complaint data to inform its regulation of health and adult social care services.
Visit ISCAS WebsiteIf your concern involves a doctor and remains unresolved after following your provider's complaints process, you can escalate to the GMC. The GMC regulates doctors in the UK and investigates serious cases of professional misconduct.2
When to use: For serious concerns about a doctor's fitness to practise, professional conduct, or clinical competence. It is not for general dissatisfaction with a service.
Raise a Concern with the GMCThe CQC regulates and inspects both NHS and independent health and adult social care providers in England.3 The CQC does not deal with individual complaints, but it uses concerns raised to inform inspections and regulatory decisions, so your feedback still matters.
When to use: To share information about the quality or safety of a regulated service in England. It is also useful if you believe a service is not meeting safety standards.
Give Feedback to the CQCIf you are in Wales, Healthcare Inspectorate Wales is the body that inspects and regulates NHS and independent health care. Like the CQC, it does not settle individual complaints, but it uses the concerns you raise to shape its inspections.
When to use: To raise concerns about the quality or safety of a health care service in Wales.
Raise a Concern with HIWIn Scotland, Healthcare Improvement Scotland regulates independent clinics and works to improve the quality of NHS care. For most private cannabis clinics, this is the body that oversees the service you use.
When to use: To raise concerns about the quality or safety of an independent health care service in Scotland.
Contact HISIn Northern Ireland, the RQIA is the independent body that regulates and inspects health and social care services, including independent clinics. It uses the concerns you raise to inform its inspections.
When to use: To raise concerns about the quality or safety of a regulated health or social care service in Northern Ireland.
Raise a Concern with the RQIAReporting Adverse Effects
MHRA Yellow Card Scheme
The Yellow Card scheme lets patients, carers, and healthcare professionals report side effects (adverse drug reactions) from any medicine, including medical cannabis products.6 Every report helps improve medicine safety across the UK.
We strongly recommend downloading the MHRA Yellow Card app so you can report reactions quickly and easily from your phone. Your reports can lead directly to changes that make treatments safer for future patients.
Having trouble being heard?
If you're struggling to navigate the reporting process or feel your complaint isn't being taken seriously, the PatientsCann team can help you gather evidence and ensure your voice reaches the right people.
References
Sources
Each body's own website is the authoritative source for how to raise a concern.
- Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service (2026) How to complain. Available at: https://www.iscas.org.uk (Accessed: 14 July 2026).
- General Medical Council (2026) Raising a concern about a doctor. Available at: https://www.gmc-uk.org/concerns (Accessed: 14 July 2026).
- Care Quality Commission (2026) Give feedback on care. Available at: https://www.cqc.org.uk/give-feedback-on-care (Accessed: 14 July 2026).
- Healthcare Improvement Scotland (2026) Feedback, comments, concerns and complaints. Available at: https://www.healthcareimprovementscotland.scot (Accessed: 14 July 2026).
- Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (2026) How to raise a concern. Available at: https://www.rqia.org.uk (Accessed: 14 July 2026). Healthcare Inspectorate Wales guidance is available at https://www.hiw.org.uk.
- Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (2026) Yellow Card scheme. Available at: https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk (Accessed: 14 July 2026).
