Health service faces record complaints toll

Mike Waites Health Correspondent

COMPLAINTS about NHS hospitals and community health services in England are at a record high, latest figures have revealed.

The sector has seen the biggest annual rise in complaints since records began 12 years ago.

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Complaints about hospital and community services rose by 13 per cent to more than 101,000 in 2009-10 compared with the previous 12 months. Since 1997, there has been an average annual increase of only 1.1 per cent.

Nearly half of complaints related to the medical profession, a similar proportion to the previous year. This was followed by complaints about nurses, midwives and health visitors, while administrative staff accounted for one in 11.

The biggest proportion of complaints related to “all aspects of clinical treatment”, followed by staff attitude and delays or cancellations to outpatient appointments.

All NHS trusts are required to provide figures except foundation trusts and 18 of these failed to do so.

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In Yorkshire there were more than 9,000 complaints. The highest number was received by hospital chiefs in Sheffield, followed by Leeds hospitals, the Wakefield-based Mid Yorkshire trust and by Yorkshire Ambulance Service.

Separate figures showed a four per cent rise in annual complaints about GP services and dentistry, to more than 50,000 in 2009-10, including 4,800 in the region. The highest number referred to services in North Yorkshire, followed by Leeds and Bradford.

Health Minister Paul Burstow said: “These figures mark the last 12 months of the Labour Government’s stewardship of the NHS.

“Despite the hard work of NHS staff, they demonstrate that, after 13 years of targets and tickboxes, more people than ever complained about their experience of the NHS.

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“The biggest annual rise in complaints in 12 years is the public’s verdict of the last Government’s NHS record.

“The coalition Government is determined to put patients at the centre of everything the NHS does. Quality and outcomes will be the measures by which the service is judged.”

The chief executive of the Patients Association, Katherine Murphy, said: “The rise in complaints is very worrying and is reflected in an increase in the number of people contacting our helpline to tell us of problems they are having with NHS services.

“On our helpline we hear appalling stories of neglect, misdiagnosis and a distinct lack of care and compassion.

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“We know many people receive good care but that doesn’t excuse the poor care received by others. Keep in mind many people want to complain but don’t and these figures will certainly massively underestimate the number of people that actually want to complain.

“The rise might actually reflect greater awareness of the complaints process.”

She added: “It is absolutely outrageous that 18 foundation trusts did not participate in the report. The local communities of those trusts deserve to know how their services compare.

“At a time when the new health secretary is urging the NHS to become more open and transparent, it is completely unacceptable for these 18 trusts to be acting in a way completely contrary to that ethos. They should be forced to share their data.”

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The deputy chairman of the British Medical Association’s consultants committee, Paul Flynn, said: “Complaints should be seen by NHS organisations as a valuable resource, as they help them improve quality of care.

“The new system has allowed more patients to express dissatisfaction with services and we anticipate that consultants – who have overall responsibility for patients’ care – will listen to this feedback and use it to work to drive forward improvements.”