Spotlight on complaints 2009: a report on second-stage complaints about the NHS in England
On 16 February 2009, the Healthcare Commission published a report which highlights evidence that certain NHS trusts are still not responding to complaints effectively or learning lessons from them.
Analysis of the complaints reviewed by the Healthcare Commission reveals the following themes:
- Hospitals (43% of total complaints)
The majority of complaints about hospitals concerned nursing care. Of these, 43.5% were about general care, highlighting issues such as nutrition, falls and the observation of patients.
- GP practices (11% of total)
Complaints about GPs were the most common type of complaint in connection with the primary care sector. Twenty-five percent of complaints about GPs were in relation to a delay or failure to diagnose a condition or illness.
- Dental surgeries (4% of total)
The majority of complaints about dental services related to treatment (36%). These included issues such as delays in accessing services and incorrect or unsuccessful treatments.
- Accident and emergency care (3% of total)
The main issues complained about related to treatment (24%). There were also concerns about ambulance response times and incorrect treatment.
- Maternity services (2% of total)
Thirty-one percent of complaints about maternity services related to treatment. These included complainants' concerns about the standard and timeliness of treatment they received.
- Mental health services (5% of total)
The main concerns were in relation to general care (47%), such as the appropriateness of treatment, care review meetings and the use of control and restraint.
- Learning disabilities (0.3% of total)
These were not primarily complaints made about learning disability services, but healthcare services for those with learning disabilities.
The Healthcare Commission sets out a number of proposals for NHS trusts to improve the way they resolve complaints in preparation for the new system. It recommends they should: acknowledge the person's right to complain; take statements and interview staff involved in events leading to the complaint; ensure any letters to the person are clearly written and free from complex clinical terminology; ensure that the person is kept informed of progress; offer an unequivocal apology where appropriate; and ensure that general learning is taken from specific complaints and is embedded into the system.
Spotlight on complaints 2009: A report on second-stage complaints about the NHS in England (PDF)
