How should a Qatar facility handle incidents and complaints under MOPH?

Resolve complaints at the facility first, quickly and in writing, because a patient who is not satisfied can go to MOPH and Fitness to Practice will investigate. Review incidents on the four levels of the Qatar Patient Safety Classification, and report them through QPSS if your facility has joined.

The complaint route MOPH sets

MOPH tells patients to speak first to the practitioner, the medical director or the department concerned. If that does not resolve it, they complain to Fitness to Practice through the Governmental Health Communication Center, by email to ghcc@moph.gov.qa or on 44070000 or 44070270.¹ Fitness to Practice handles complaints about competence, from diagnosis to prescribing, and conduct, including consent, access to records, confidentiality and behaviour. It cannot award compensation or refund fees.²

What Fitness to Practice can decide

A complaint is closed without action when there is no evidence of error, misconduct or negligence. Where there is, the outcomes run from advice, caution and warning to retraining, a review of privileges, an audit of a department, partial or whole closure of a facility, suspension or revocation of a licence, and referral to the public prosecution. A practitioner or facility may appeal most sanctions to the Minister of Public Health within 30 days.³

Incidents, the national way

QPSS is MOPH's national platform for reporting, analysing and learning from patient safety incidents. MOPH encourages every facility to join, and only one or two nominated Patient Safety Focal Points in each facility submit reports.⁴ The Qatar Patient Safety Classification, launched on 11 January 2026, covers more than 25 categories, including medication incidents, falls, infection, surgical incidents and procedures, on four levels, domain, severity and impact, contributory factors, and corrective and preventive actions.⁵ The Bill of Rights gives patients the right to have their complaint investigated and to be told the outcome.⁶

1. Acknowledge the same day. In the patient's own language, with a named person who owns the reply.
2. Rebuild the facts. From the record and its audit trail, who saw the patient, what was written and when.
3. Classify the incident. Domain, severity and impact, contributory factors, using the national classification.
4. Report through QPSS. Through your Patient Safety Focal Point, if the facility has joined.
5. Reply with the outcome. In writing, with what changed, because the Bill of Rights gives the patient that right.
6. Record the action. The corrective and preventive action, its owner and the date it was checked.

1. Received on ______ From ______ Language ______
2. Acknowledged on ______ Owner ______
3. Facts from the record ______
4. Domain ______ Severity and impact ______
5. Contributory factors ______
6. Corrective and preventive actions ______ Owner ______
7. Reported through QPSS on ______
8. Outcome sent to the patient on ______

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Questions

Where does a patient complain in Qatar?

To the practitioner or medical director first, then to Fitness to Practice through the Governmental Health Communication Center, at ghcc@moph.gov.qa or 44070000.

Is joining QPSS mandatory?

MOPH's QPSS page says all facilities are encouraged to join, through one or two nominated Patient Safety Focal Points. It does not say joining is mandatory.

Can Fitness to Practice order a refund?

No, it cannot award compensation or refund treatment fees, and the patient raises that with the concerned authorities.

Sources

1. 1Ministry of Public Health, Qatar, 2019What can I do if I am not satisfied with a provided health care service?Read source
2. 2Ministry of Public Health, Qatar, 2019What kinds of complaints does the Department deal with?Read source
3. 3Ministry of Public Health, Qatar, 2019What are the outcomes of investigation of those complaints?Read source
4. 4Ministry of Public Health, Qatar, 2026Qatar Patient Safety System, QPSSRead source
5. 5Ministry of Public Health, Qatar, 2026Ministry of Public Health launches the Qatar Patient Safety Classification, 11 January 2026Read source
6. 6Ministry of Public Health, Qatar, 2021Patients' Bill of Rights and Responsibilities, EnglishRead source

Written by the wai team from Ministry of Public Health, Qatar guidance, checked on 16 October 2026. This is guidance, not legal advice. MOPH does not endorse wai or any software.