As you will most likely be aware, the NHS received almost 175,000 written complaints in 2013-14
according to the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC).
Of those, over 18,500 of these were received by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman,
of which 3,592 were investigated. Almost 40% of their completed investigations either fully or
partly upheld the complaint.
Interestingly, the Ombudsman has already published the number of completed investigations of acute
trusts relating to Q1 and Q2 of 2014-15, which has already surpassed the total number investigated the
previous year.
Regulation 16 of the new Fundamental Standards
Complaints handling is also addressed in Regulation 16 of the new Fundamental Standards, which
aims to ensure each provider has an accessible and robust complaints handling and investigation
procedure in place.
CQC gives clear guidance to providers on meeting this standard, including:
• Making sure appropriate investigations are carried out to identify what might have caused the
complaint and the actions required to prevent similar complaints.
• Providers should monitor complaints over time, looking for trends and areas of risk that may be
addressed.
• Staff and others who are involved in the assessment and investigation of complaints must have the
right level of knowledge and skills. They should understand the provider’s complaints process and be
knowledgeable about current related guidance.
CQC’s full guidance on Regulation 16: Receiving and acting on complaints can be found here.
Common issues Bond Solon finds
As a leading provider of Complaints Handling and Investigation qualifications, Bond Solon often
finds one of the problems with NHS complaints handling procedures is the defensive stance assumed
during the process.
Leslie Cuthbert, Bond Solon Trainer, Tribunal Judge, and Panel Chair for the Fitness to Practice
Committee of the NMC states:
“Organisations need to see complaints not as an attack which they must defend, but rather as an
opportunity to learn and improve.”
Another obstacle Bond Solon frequently sees is the lack of clarity achieved at the initial stages before
the investigation is conducted. Leslie adds:
“The reason so many complainants are unhappy with the response to a complaint is because the
organisation hasn’t put sufficient time and effort in at the start of the investigation to clarify
exactly what the complaint is. Most individuals are poor communicators and as a result don’t
express their complaints in a clear manner which is then not clarified by the complaints handler
before an investigation gets underway.”
These points are also clearly reflected in the recent report into Investigating clinical incidents in the
NHS by the House of Commons Select Committee. The report highlights several concerns, including
the complexity of how and where to complain, the defensive culture once complaints have been
received, the lack of inclusion of the patient and family in the process, and the inconsistent quality of
how investigations are carried out and handled.
Further information
Over the next few weeks Bond Solon will be providing useful information and insight into complaints
handling processes which we hope will assist your organisation.