New guidance has been published on the NHS and social care complaints system. 

22/10/2009 
From April, complaints will no longer be escalated from the provider to the Healthcare Commission and then to the health service ombudsman. Instead, if they are not resolved by providers they will be referred directly to the ombudsman.
 

The Department of Health published a guide on the 5 March titled Listening, Responding, and Improving: a rough guide to better customer care. The guide has been developed to help complaints professionals work with colleagues to make their organisations better at listening, responding and learning from people’s experiences. It is designed to be accessible to anyone working in health and social care organisations that is involved in receiving feedback and resolving concerns and complaints from patients, service users and their representatives.

Health minister Ann Keen said: "Under the new system, organisations will be required to demonstrate what they have learnt from complaints so that we can make services more effective, personal and safe.

"We are also simplifying how complaints can be escalated to a single independent body - rather than to two as at present."

The DH is also holding training events for NHS and social care staff on the new system. For further information and to download the report visit the Department of Health website

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Contacts

Christina Heap
020 7074 3246
Christina.Heap@nhsconfed.org

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