14.09.17
Written complaints against NHS soar by 4.9%
The number of written complaints about the NHS increased by 4.9% during 2016-17 compared to the previous year, new data from NHS Digital has revealed.
A total of 208,400 written complaints were received by the NHS during 2016-17, amounting to around 571 written complaints being made every day.
In particular, the data shows that complaints made to GP and dental practices has seen a sharp rise of almost 10% (9.7%) from last year, as there were 90,700 complaints made about primary care.
Around half (49.8%) of the resolved complaints made to primary care providers were upheld. Of these, 37.5% were fully upheld and 12.4% were partially upheld.
The situation for secondary care was not much better, as the report revealed a 1.4% year-on-year increase, with 117,800 complaints received in 2016-17 compared to 116,200 in 2015-16.
The areas which saw the biggest increases in all written complaints were Lancashire, which saw a 14.6% increase from 2015-16, the West Midlands where complaints went up by 14.6% and the North Midlands, where the rise was 8.8%.
Complaints fell in a number of areas: the South Central region, by 6.2%, the South West, by 1.8% and Cumbria and the North East by 0.6%.
NHE has contacted NHS England and the Department of Health for comment, but at the time of publication had not received a reply.
Top Image: olm26250
Have you got a story to tell? Would you like to become an NHE columnist? If so, click here.