Dr Nick Clements, Head of Medical Services at MPS says: “It is worrying that three out of five patients and care users that complain about their treatment feel that the system is failing to address their concerns. A culture of openness in the NHS is critical to improving the quality and safety of patients. Our advice to all members is to have full and open communication with the patient as soon as possible after an incident, once sufficient facts have been established. An explanation may be all that is needed to reassure a service user and avoid unnecessary escalation.
“When complaints are made, they are an opportunity to make improvements to patient safety. Central to this must be a system that can resolve patient complaints effectively and enable healthcare professionals to address concerns.
“There are many organisations, processes and people that could be involved in a complaint, leading to confusion about roles, responsibilities and who a patient can approach. There needs to be centrally provided information about how the whole process works, the bodies involved, what an organisation will consider when looking at a complaint and how a patient can make a complaint effectively.
“We believe this is best achieved by having experienced, properly trained complaints handlers with adequate support and regularly updated training to ensure a consistent and excellent experience for all involved. This should be combined with a reasonable time period to respond to complaints. We believe this is preferable to a further wholesale change to the process itself.”
More information
For further information or to interview Dr Clements please contact Raj Pattni, Press Office Assistant at MPS on +44 207 399 1409 or email [email protected]
Notes to editors:
- Healthwatch England’s 'Suffering in silence: Listening to consumer experiences of the health and social care complaints system' http://www.healthwatch.co.uk/news/renewed-efforts-required-create-compassionate-complaints-system