21 October 2007
As the Department of Health consultation on NHS complaints* closes, new research from Which?** reveals that the majority of people don’t see the point in complaining about healthcare treatment.
Just one in three people who felt they had a reason to make a complaint about healthcare treatment have actually done so. Of those who didn’t complain, over half (57 per cent) didn’t because they thought it wouldn’t make a difference and, alarmingly, almost a third (32 per cent) thought it would compromise their future care***.
Of those that did complain, only 27 per cent were happy with how their complaint was dealt with and just 15 per cent were happy with the outcome.
Frances Blunden, health campaigner, Which?, says:
“Is it any wonder that people don’t see the point in complaining if they think it will compromise their care?
“People need an accessible, quick and approachable way of making a complaint and they need to know that it won’t be a waste of time. But, if people are experiencing problems with their care, they want them resolved there and then – lodging an official complaint should be a last resort.
“The NHS needs a complete culture shift so that patients are encouraged to provide feedback throughout their time in hospital and assured that their comments will make a difference.”
Complaints about in-patient hospital care were the most important to people, followed by out-patient care and then care from GP practices.
– Ends –
*The Department of Health consultation on complaint handling entitled: Making Experiences Count. Which? has written a formal response to the report from the Department of Health. For a copy of our response, please call the press office on the number above.
**842 telephone interviews were conducted with a representative sample of the population of England aged 16+ during August 2007.
***Forty five per cent wanted to forget about the experience, 40 per cent didn’t want to make a fuss, a third (34 per cent) of people thought the complaints process was too difficult and 30 per cent didn’t know how to lodge a complaint.
Which? launched its Impatient for Change (www.which.co.uk/impatientforchange) on Friday 5 October with the backing of Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The campaign is fighting to improve all aspects of non-clinical care for hospital in-patients in the NHS with a focus on food, hygiene and the organisation of care. The Impatient for Change campaign has been endorsed by a number of celebrities. We are happy to send you a list of their quotes demonstrating their support.
