Review of how Welsh NHS handles complaints published
2 Jul 2014 03:39 PM
The Welsh NHS needs to
view complaints about patient care as a gift and an opportunity for improving
services, an independent review said.
Health Minister Mark Drakeford
commissioned Keith Evans, the former chief executive and managing director of
Panasonic UK and Ireland, to lead the review which makes more than 100
recommendations to strengthen the NHS complaints process,
including:
- Improved visibility and
promotion of how patients and families can make a complaint. The report found
it can be difficult to find out where to start when considering making a
complaint;
- It concludes Putting Things
Right - the complaints system introduced in 2011 - is sound, but it is variable
across NHS organisations;
- A change in culture is needed so
the NHS can genuinely learn from people who have had difficult experiences,
including ensuring a ‘no blame culture’ is developed at all levels
so lessons can be learned;
- Improve the infrastructure to
accommodate the current levels of complaints;
- Increase the profile of the
analysis of incidents and complaints at board level in the NHS so the
information can be used to improve services;
- Develop the complaints champions
at board and executive level to strengthen support services.
The report also suggests
developing a national approach to dealing with concerns in some instances. This
includes ways to bring more independence into the process for more serious
complaints.
Keith Evans
said:
“This review acknowledges
the commitment of many NHS organisations and members of staff in delivering
high quality service. However, it also clearly indicates there are
instances where services simply do not provide the levels of professionalism
users should expect from the NHS.
“Everyone has a role to
play in making the NHS a better place for those of us having to avail ourselves
of its services.
“Executives and senior
staff in all areas must lead the required change from the front and by good
example. Furthermore, whatever job someone has in the NHS, they should think of
themselves wearing their patients’ shoes and put themselves in their
position at all times. Doing so will quickly reveal the daily issues of what is
going right and wrong.
“It is also very important
that organisations and individuals learn how to not be defensive but to listen
to NHS users concerns and complaints, analyse them, and reflect the findings
into the workplace quickly and efficiently for the betterment of
all."
Professor Drakeford
said:
“Patients in Wales come
into contact with the NHS tens of millions of times every year. Taking these
numbers into account, it’s not surprising there will be some times when
patients or their families feel dissatisfied with their care. Despite this,
complaints received by the NHS tend to represent less than 0.1% of all
activity.
“For the small minority
who experience care that isn’t of the highest quality, those complaints
need to be taken seriously and acted upon. When things do go wrong the right
mechanisms need to be in place to address any concerns.
“I welcome the
review’s recommendations. It points out that the NHS needs to continue to
be open and accept feedback from patients as a gift which should be acted on
and used to improve care. This is about culture as much as it is about
resources. We need to do all we can to allow patients to put forward their
concerns effectively and simply. At the same time we must not create a climate
where staff feel under siege, as this report has found.
“The report indicates some
organisations are not always open and this leads to needless and repetitive
complaints. This needs to change and staff must be empowered to deal with
concerns quickly and at source. There are examples of this approach in the
report, but this needs to become the norm across the Welsh
NHS.”
The NHS, its partner
organisations, including community health councils, other interested bodies and
the public will have the opportunity to contribute their views on the review
and its more wide-ranging recommendations, such as whether a national approach
to complaints is needed, over the summer months.
The Welsh Government will set
out its formal response to the review in the autumn following this period of
wider engagement.
Links
Review of concerns (complaints) handling
within NHS Wales – 'Using the gift of
complaints'