09.04.14
NHS patients worry that complaining will affect care
About 10% of NHS patients have kept quiet about poor standards because they fear complaining would affect the quality of care and treatment they receive, a new study has revealed.
The research also highlighted that about two-thirds of patients experiencing problems with their GP or hospital care chose not to complain for other reasons.
More than 5,000 patients were surveyed as part of the report, by medical negligence law firm Fletchers Solicitors, which revealed the most common reasons for not complaining were that patients don’t believe anyone will listen to them (10.5%) and that the quality of care and treatment they receive will be negatively affected (10.25%).
Additionally, over 50% of patients said they had, or knew a family member who had, a reason to complain about their treatment, yet less than a third (18%) chose to do so.
Of the patients who did make a complaint, the researchers asked them to rate the complaints process on a scale of one to 10. The average score was four, with over a third of respondents rating it three or lower.
Ed Fletcher, CEO of Fletchers Solicitors, said: “The results are a worrying sign that trust between patients and the NHS is starting to break down. Many of the people we speak with who have suffered an injury as a result of treatment really just want a clear explanation and apology for what has happened to them, but such transparency is rarely forthcoming.”
The findings of the study have been announced at the start of a year-long campaign – Listening Project – to help investigate ways the NHS can improve its ability to listen to patients.
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