Record Number of Complaints on NHS

Latest figures released by the NHS Information Centre reveals a record number of complaints against NHS hospitals and services over the period of last two years. The biggest yearly rise of complaints was 10.6 percent between 1999-00 and 2000-01. However the latest figures reveal that the NHS received more than 101,000 complaints between 2008-09 and 2009-10; a rise of 13.4 percent.

Nearly half of the complaints received were about medical profession while complaints regarding nurses, midwives and health visitors came at a distant second (22 percent). The attitude of the staff was also a problem with more than 12 percent of the complaints related to this issue while around 10 percent complained about delays or cancellations to outpatient appointments.

Blaming the previous government for the trouble, Health Minister Paul Burstow said “"These figures mark the last 12 months of the Labour Government's stewardship of the NHS. Despite the hard work of NHS staff, they demonstrate that, after 13 years of targets and tickboxes, more people than ever complained about their experience of the NHS.”


Source-Medindia