18.09.12
Complaints against doctors rise by 23% – GMC
The number of complaints against doctors rose by 23% from 2010 to 2011, the General Medical Council has reported.
The second annual State of Medical Education and Practice in the UK (SoMEP) showed that complaints against doctors rose from 7,153 in 2010 to 8,781 in 2011.
Allegations about poor communication increased by 69% and those concerning a lack of respect rose by 45%, although the GMC suggests there is “no evidence” this points to falling standards of practice.
Factors which contributed to the rise in complaints include greater patient expectations, an increased willingness to complain, less tolerance of poor practice and media attention for high profile cases.
In 2011, the GMC took action in over 500 cases and gave advice in a further 700. The names of 65 doctors were erased from the medical register last year and 93 were suspended.
The groups that attracted the highest rate of complaints were GPs, psychiatrists and surgeons, and older men were also more likely to be the subject of complaints than women.
To deal with the rising number of complaints, the GMC is establishing a team of 15 Employer Liaison Advisors to manage concerns about doctors and give advice on revalidation.
A confidential helpline for doctors will be launched later this year, to discuss any concerns they may have, and a pilot will be started for a national induction programme for doctors new to the register.
The GMC is also reforming its fitness to practise procedures, by setting up the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) and piloting initiatives such as meeting with doctors and complainants to speed up investigations and reduce the trauma involved.
Niall Dickson, chief executive of the GMC, said that revalidation would be “critical” to enhancing patient safety and improving the quality of medical care.
He added: “While we do need to develop a better understanding of why complaints to us are rising, we do not believe it reflects falling standards of medical practice. Every day there are millions of interactions between doctors and patients and all the evidence suggests that public trust and confidence in the UK’s doctors remains extremely high.”
Mike Farrar, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: “We must keep a careful eye on these complaints. A rise may partly be a result of patients, rightly, being more assertive in voicing dissatisfaction about their care, or it may be something more substantial.”
Farrar also agreed that revalidation would be important in raising standards and public confidence in doctors.
Dean Royles, director of the NHS Employers, said: “We need employers and doctors working together, learning from appraisals and patient feedback, and creating a culture where we are continually improving ways of working to help drive up standards of care.
“Revalidation is an important step in this process of improving standards. It will ensure patients have access to the safest care and help to address many of the concerns raised in this report.”
The report is at:
www.gmc-uk.org/publications/somep2012.asp?WT.mc_id=MENE120918
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