A lack of confidence in the NHS complaints process means some people are taking no action when they experience poor care, according to the patient champion. There is also “little evidence” that complaints being made to the health service are being used to improve services, Healthwatch England said.
It comes as a poll showed more than half of those who made a complaint to an NHS organisation were not satisfied with the process or outcome. The survey of 2,650 adults in England, carried out by YouGov for Healthwatch, found almost one in four (24%) had a poor experience with the NHS in the last year.
However, 56% of these people took no action, with fewer than one in 10 (9%) making a formal complaint. Of those who did not formally complain about their experience, some 34% said it was because they did not think the health service would use the complaint to improve care.
A third of people said they did not think NHS organisations would respond effectively, while one in five said they were worried that complaining would affect their ongoing treatment. Some 19% of those who experienced poor care did not know how to complain, the poll found.
Of those who did complain, some 56% were dissatisfied with the process, with the same proportion unhappy about the outcome. Louise Ansari, chief executive of Healthwatch England, said: “We know that public satisfaction with the NHS is at record low levels, with too many patients receiving poor care.
