Low confidence in NHS complaints process ‘Stops patients flagging bad care’

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A lack of trust in the NHS complaints process means some people are not taking action when they experience poor care, according to the Patient Champion.

There is also “little evidence” that complaints made to the health service are being used to improve services, HealthWatch England said.

It comes as a survey showed that more than half of those who made a complaint to an NHS organization were dissatisfied with the process or outcome.

The survey of 2,650 adults in England, carried out by YouGov for HealthWatch, found that almost one in four (24%) had a bad experience with the NHS in the last year.

However, 56% of these people took no action, with less than one in 10 (9%) making a formal complaint.

Of those who did not formally complain about their experience, around 34% said it was because they did not believe the health service would use the complaint to improve care.

A third of people said they did not believe NHS organizations responded effectively, while one in five said they were worried the complaints would affect their ongoing treatment.

About 19% of those who experienced poor care did not know how to complain, according to the survey.

Of those who complained, around 56% were dissatisfied with the process, with the same proportion unhappy about the outcome.

Louise Ansari, chief executive of HealthWatch England, said: “We know that public satisfaction with the NHS is at record low levels, with too many patients receiving poor care.

“When patients feel their complaints are not taken seriously or no action is taken because of a complex system, services miss out on vital information to help them improve.”

Figures published in October show that the total number of all written complaints reported in the NHS in 2023/24 was 241,922, an increase of 5.4% compared to the 229,458 reported in the previous 12 months.

However, the HealthWatch report states that “low public trust is preventing people from taking action after experiencing poor care”, meaning current complaint numbers “could be the tip of the iceberg”.

He added that “there is little evidence that complaints are systematically used to improve care.”

HealthWatch analysis shows there has been a 37% increase in complaints between 2013/14 and 2023/24.

He suggests this could mean people are more confident speaking up as more organizations adopt NHS complaints standards which were introduced in 2022.

However, it also claims the rise could be “driven by poor quality of care caused by pressures on the NHS, especially since the pandemic”.

“Despite year-on-year increases, the health service may not have learned from complaints and remains in a cycle of repeating the same mistakes,” the report said.

Ms Ansari added: “We flagged faults with the NHS more than a decade ago, following the patient safety scandal at Mid Staffordshire Hospital.

“Ten years on, our research shows that the public still lacks confidence in the NHS complaints system.

“We need a step change in how people’s complaints are handled and acted upon. Healthcare leaders should focus on developing a culture of listening to and learning from complaints across the sector.

“Making it easier for patients and families to navigate the complaints system through the NHS app, setting mandatory response times and measuring people’s satisfaction with the complaints process and outcomes, will be a part key to this.”

An NHS spokesperson said: “Every patient deserves high-quality care, and NHS staff are working tirelessly to respond to growing demand for services, with record numbers of patients presenting to both primary care and hospitals each year. past.

“The NHS takes patient experiences very seriously and we are committed to listening to patients and implementing initiatives such as Martha’s Rule, which is already having a transformative effect in some cases.

“This report highlights that even more needs to be done to listen to patients, respond to complaints and improve services, which is why the NHS is working closely with the government on this year’s 10-year health plan to help us transform services to provide the best quality care for patients.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “This report shows that the NHS complaints system is failing too many patients.

“We are determined to foster an environment where patients and NHS staff can speak out, knowing that they will be supported and that their concerns will be heard and acted upon.

“We must never turn a blind eye to failure, which is why we will build a culture of transparency in the NHS and ensure patients’ voices are heard.”

Isabel Lawicka, NHS director of provider policy and strategy, added: “Listening to patients and their families is a vital part of delivering a safe service.”