A report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman suggests, shockingly, that 56% of people aged over 65 who experienced poor healthcare did not complain because of worries about how it might impact future treatment or simply because they did not want to make a fuss. Nearly 20% did not know how to raise a complaint and a third felt complaining would make no difference.
The report recommends that the NHS should take a more proactive approach by making sure patients are aware of the complaints procedure and are reassured that their treatment will not be negatively affected if they voice their concerns, especially when it comes to elderly patients in an increasingly ageing population. Healthwatch England have stated that there needs to be more support available for patients who are let down by the NHS but added that when it comes to care homes and home care services, there is hardly any complaints support at all which leaves vulnerable adults with little protection.
Not raising concerns could lead to missed opportunities to improve services and prevents the health service learning from mistakes. Age UK state that it is crucial to seek and respond to older people’s views and experiences to prevent future negligent care. Patient feedback is a great way to assess the quality of care and this report suggests hospitals need to do much more to reassure older patients that they can complain if they need to, free from the fear that their treatment will be negatively affected if they do so. Healthwatch England said a universal and independent complaints advocacy service that was easy to find and simple to use would improve the situation.
The NHS is under increasing pressure and it is therefore vital that if things do go wrong, patients are informed of how to raise concerns and how to get help to do so if they need it. Without this support, thousands of incidents will continue to go under the radar every year and mistakes will never be learnt from.
There are common themes running through complaints about the care of older people, including misdiagnosis, staff attitudes, poor communication with patients and families, substandard nutrition, falls risk assessment and patients not being treated with dignity. Preventing abuse and negligent care must be a priority for the NHS – older people should be encouraged to complain about poor healthcare and should be taken seriously when they do.
Our team of experienced solicitors can help you with the complaint process and reassure you that complaining about negligent treatment should never negatively affect your future care and treatment. Making a complaint can often assist as further information can be gleamed from a complaint response. Complaints should be made as soon as possible after the negligent care or treatment so that the healthcare provider can investigate the circumstances and provide answers in a written, substantive response and normally within 12 months. If you or a family member has suffered as a result of negligent treatment and would like advice, please call 0114 218 4000 for a no obligation chat with a member of our clinical negligence team or email heretohelp@tayloremmet.co.uk for free, quick and honest advice.
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