Results overview
Complaints trajectory
• Cork 2009
• Candidatures working group
• Questionnaire
• Brussels 5/2/2010
• Reporting to Epso
epso working group complaints 21 5 10
• Limits of this presentation
epso working group complaints 21 5 10
Individual complaint: definition
• =complaint with the inspectorate on health
and social care services
• =by a patient, a client or his representative
• =concerning the care administered by a
health/social care service.
epso working group complaints 21 5 10
Position of the inspectorate
• Most inspectorates can investigate individual
complaints;
- some directly involved
- some involved only as appeal instance
- some only in severe incidents
epso working group complaints 21 5 10
Role of Inspectorate in care provider’s
complaints procedure
• Miscellaneous & various levels
• Sometimes Inspectorate must be mentioned
in complaints procedure (address, contact
number): Northern Ireland, Flanders
epso working group complaints 21 5 10
Legislation on complaints in
health care
• Legal basis for the parties involved:
-complainant
-care provider
-inspectorate
(ombudsman)
Often: law on patients’ rights.
epso working group complaints 21 5 10
Informing the public
• In all countries public is informed of the
possibility to lodge complaint
• More or less active information
• Various ways of information:
-posters, folders, leaflets
-websites
-other (media, conferences,…)
epso working group complaints 21 5 10
Redirecting a complainant
• Reasons to redirect to care provider:
-closer to complaint & complainant
-local expertise
-opportunity to improve care
epso working group complaints 21 5 10
Not redirecting a complainant
• Reasons for not redirecting:
-vulnerability
-from pillar to post
-closer & easier follow-up for inspectorate
epso working group complaints 21 5 10
Redirecting to whom?
• Care provider
• Ombudsman
• Complaints commission
epso working group complaints 21 5 10
Judging a complaint
• Founded-unfounded
• Possible consequences?
epso working group complaints 21 5 10
How complaints are investigated (I)
• Ask additional (written) information from care
provider
• Ask for written follow-up of complaint by care
provider
epso working group complaints 21 5 10
How complaints are investigated (II)
• Visit care provider
• Talk to complainant
• Include complaint in next regular inspection
• Hold formal meeting with care provider
epso working group complaints 21 5 10
Revealing identity? (I)
• “Retaliation”, whistle blowing
• Care provider’s ability to resolve problem
• How anonymous is anonymous?
epso working group complaints 21 5 10
Revealing identity? (II)
• No identity, no investigation
• Options for complainant
• Options for Inspectorate
epso working group complaints 21 5 10
Complainant unknown to Inspectorate
• Investigation in spite of anonymous nature
• Anonymity →no investigation
epso working group complaints 21 5 10
Follow-up
• Follow-up of an investigated complaint:
-written follow-up by care provider
-include follow-up in regular inspection later on
-specific follow-up inspection
-contacting complainant
epso working group complaints 21 5 10
Reporting on an individual complaint
•
•
•
•
Written reports in all countries
Sent to care provider
Sent to complainant
Published on website (…)
epso working group complaints 21 5 10
Registration
• In general and systematic way: most countries
• Fragmented: 1 country
epso working group complaints 21 5 10
General report
• Miscellaneous
• Only 50% of countries report on regular basis
and in general on complaints investigation
epso working group complaints 21 5 10
Make use of complaints
• Include information from complaints in future
inspection programs or instruments
• Not everyone’s logic
epso working group complaints 21 5 10
Training Inspectors
• Specific training for dealing with complaints
• Only 50% of epso members specifically train
inspectors for dealing with complaints
• →Epso training?
epso working group complaints 21 5 10
Thank you
• Questions and remarks
epso working group complaints 21 5 10