The Health Select Committee has launched an inquiry into how the health service deals with complaints and patient concerns. Specifically, the inquiry will consider:
- Handling of complaints made by patients and families about care received in the health and care sectors;
- The extent to which the findings of recent inquiries have been incorporated into the complaints process;
- Support for patients, the public and staff who wish to make complaints or raise concerns;
- The consequences of complaints for care providers and of raising concerns for the employment prospects of staff; and
- Future plans for improvements in this area.
The deadline for submissions is noon on Friday 7th March.
Pete from PSI: Complaints handling has been at the forefront of political debate over the past couple of years, with the Francis Report and the publication of the Clwyd-Hart Review of the NHS Hospital Complaints System proposing numerous reforms to the way that complaints are handled to ensure patient concerns are acted upon. The Department of Health is also consulting on its Fundamental Standards of Care which providers must meet to be licensed by the Care Quality Commission, a summary of which can be found here.