Listening and Learning: the Ombudsman's Review of Complaint Handling by the NHS in England 2009-10

HC 482, First Report of Session 2010-11

Author:

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

Publisher:

TSO (The Stationery Office)

Price: £16.00

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'Listening and Learning: the Ombudsman's Review of Complaint Handling by the NHS in England 2009-10 (HC 482)' is the first in an annual series and covers the first full year of the new complaint handling system for the NHS.

The Ombudsman warns that the NHS is missing a rich source of free and readily available information about patients by failing to listen and learn from complaints. The report's scope includes previously unpublished data about the number and type of complaints received by the Ombudsman in 2009-10 for every trust and strategic health authority region in England. It shows how many complaints were received and the outcomes of the complaints investigated.

The report reveals that 15,579 health complaints were closed by the Ombudsman in 2009-10 and that the two most common reasons for complainants to be dissatisfied with the NHS were failings in clinical care and treatment and the attitude of staff - a poor explanation or an incomplete response were the most common reasons given for dissatisfaction with NHS complaint handling.

The information presents a previously unseen perspective which provides a national picture of what happens when mistakes occur and the NHS fails to put things right. Also highlighted is the regularity with which the Ombudsman needs to get involved in order to ensure the NHS apologises when a mistake has been made. As the report shows, poor complaint handling can make a difficult situation worse for patients and their families. Poorly handled complaints can also escalate, creating unnecessary demands on NHS resources whilst resolving complaints effectively need not be costly. The report also features patients' stories taken from the Ombudsman's case files.

Extent	32 pages	ISBN	9780102969191
Size	A4	Price	£16.00
Format	Paperback	Published	19 Oct 2010
Availability	Colour copy: 3 - 5 days	Delivery	Delivery options and charges