15.03.13
Handle with care
A review is being launched of NHS complaints handling, in the wake of the Francis report, as another step to ensuring the health service identifies, accepts and acts on criticism from both staff and patients.
It will consider how to align complaints and concerns with patient care, identify good practice and how intelligence from complaints can be used to improve services.
The NHS must be seen to be open to criticism, and in many cases this is already taking place. A great example is the new feedback app at Birmingham Children’s Hospital – see the March/April edition of NHE for more detail.
But variation is rife, and hopefully this review will help the NHS to tackle underlying resistance to good complaint handling. It could have a significant impact on patient perception, as well as service delivery.
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