In a significant move to enhance patient care and trust, Welsh Health Secretary Jeremy Miles announced that the process for making complaints about NHS services will be simplified and made more compassionate.
This initiative follows a comprehensive public consultation aimed at improving the "Putting Things Right" framework, which was originally introduced in 2011.
The "Putting Things Right" initiative was designed to provide a single, streamlined process for raising concerns or complaints about NHS care. It aimed to facilitate immediate changes and prompt investigations when issues arose, thereby improving service quality and safety. The recent consultation has led to several key changes based on feedback from individuals with firsthand experience of the complaints process.
One of the primary changes is the simplification of the complaints process to ensure quicker resolutions. This includes enhancing compassionate communication, increasing transparency, and making the process more inclusive. Additionally, arrangements will be updated to provide free legal advice and medical expert reports, ensuring that complainants have the necessary support.
The changes proposed from the consultation will now be developed and integrated into the "Putting Things Right" regulations and guidance. The NHS will work closely with stakeholders to implement these changes, ensuring that the complaints process is more efficient and patient-centred.
Announcing the measure, the Health Secretary said:
“The NHS works hard to ensure the best possible care is available for everyone, but we know that sometimes things can and do go wrong.
“When that happens, it’s important that people can raise concerns and the NHS can respond to them quickly and learn from the feedback it receives. That process must be fit for purpose.
“There must be a fresh focus on listening to people and learning lessons to improve care. This can be achieved by ensuring complaints can be made easily and they are dealt with in a compassionate, effective and timely manner.
“The changes proposed from the consultation aim to do exactly that. We will now work to develop and amend the Putting Things Right regulations and guidance and work with the NHS to make the changes.
“People’s input during the consultation process has been crucial and I want to thank everyone who took part in this consultation. I know this must have been a difficult process for many, but the experiences they have shared have been vital in shaping the future of Putting Things Right.”
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