Our response to HSCIC data on written complaints to the NHS

The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) have published their first quarterly collection of data on written complaints to the NHS. This collection is a count of written complaints made by, or on behalf of patients about NHS Hospital and Community Health Services in England.

Responding to the data published today, our Chair, Anna Bradley, said:

"Figures published by HSCIC today show that there were 24,900 new written complaints made to the NHS in the first quarter of 2015 - the equivalent of over 270 per day.

"We welcome the HSCIC's initiative to review and publish complaints data quarterly and think it's a reflection of the system taking NHS complaints more seriously. In the future we hope these figures will play an even more pivotal role in improving services - as long as the rest of the system makes it easier for people to complain.

"Indeed, these numbers are just the tip of the complaints iceberg. Our research has found that only 1 in 5 of people who experience an incident of poor care write a letter of complaint and local Healthwatch conversations with people have found that countless people want to complain but don’t know how to or don’t think it’s worth doing so.

"There is something deeply wrong with a complaints system that is putting people off from raising their concerns. It's time for all of health and social care to give people the support they need to make their voices heard and ensure mistakes are learned from so that people see the benefit in raising their concerns in the future.”