The Ombudsman has highlighted the need for effective communication and information by the NHS in a new report about complaints received.
‘Listening and learning: The Ombudsman’s review of complaint handling by the NHS in England 2011-12’ states that better communication would help the NHS understand the needs of patients and allow patients to understand the decisions made about their care and treatment.
The Ombudsman said poor service from the NHS can be at best ‘inconvenient’ or, at worst, ‘devastating’.
Ombudsman, Dame Julie Mellor, said: “All too often the people who come to us for help are unhappy because of the careless communication, insincere apologies and unclear explanations they’ve received from the NHS. A poor response to a complaint can add to the problems of someone who is unwell, struggling to take care of others or grieving. The NHS needs to get better at listening to patients and their families and responding to their concerns.”
Inadequate communication was an issue in over 35% of complaints resolved by the Ombudsman without the need for a formal investigation. There was an 8% rise in complaints from the public to the Ombudsman about the NHS this year.
In a letter sent from the NHS to the daughter of a woman who had died, she was told: ‘Death is rarely an ideal situation for anyone’. It went on to say: ‘I accept you would have liked to have been there in those last few minutes but in practice this is so hard to achieve and like life itself is left to chance. Truth be told your mother probably said her goodbyes long before the final moments.’
The report stated that good complaint handling means listening to patients and that doing so will help deliver the high-quality, patient-centred care that the NHS is committed to.
The Health Service Ombudsman is the last resort for complaints about the NHS and they aim to see the NHS through the eyes of individual patients who have received poor care or treatment. The report aims to give them a voice tells some of their stories.
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