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NHS complaints 'not being dealt with'Date: 08/10/2007 09:39:16
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New criticism has been levelled at the NHS over the mishandling of patient claims.
As many as 32 of the 42 NHS trusts inspected in an audit by the Healthcare Commission were found to be falling short on responding to grievances from disgruntled patients.
With around 140,000 complaints received per year by the NHS, some patients were left aggrieved that their letters had been ignored or set aside for months while claims were processed and investigated.
Peter Walsh, chief executive of health watchdog Action Against Medical Accidents criticised the poor response record on grounds that not replying to patient concerns aggravated existing problems.
"This audit is further evidence, as if we needed it, that the way many NHS organisations handle complaints adds insult to injury and there is an urgent need for improvement," he said. The audit, covering primary care, hospital, ambulance and mental health trusts showed considerable variation in complaint response from region to region.
Chief executive of the Health Commision, Anna Walker, in fact hit back, affirming the positive care at many trusts and suggesting a need to further free up local authorities to deal with their own complaints.
Ms Walker said: "Given that the NHS provides 380 million treatments a year, the number of complaints (140,000) is relatively small."
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