Press release: NHS Confederation responds to the Healthcare Commision report on complaint handling in the NHS

08 Oct 2007

Commenting on 'Complaints handling in the NHS - is anyone listening?', Nigel Edwards, Director of Policy at the NHS Confederation which represents over 95% of the organisations that make up the NHS, said:

"NHS organisations consider any feedback from patients invaluable as a means to raise standards of care, and find out more about what patients want from their health service.

"We stress that our members would never allow a complaint to adversely affect the quality of care they provide. This is simply not an issue.

"However there is always room for improvement. Procedures may vary at local level, but NHS managers will continue to listen to patients' views in order to deliver world-class healthcare."

ENDS

Notes for editors

1. The NHS Confederation represents more than 95% of the organisations that make up the NHS. Its members include the majority of NHS acute trusts, ambulance trusts, foundation trusts, mental health trusts, primary care trusts, special health authorities and strategic health authorities in England; trusts and local health boards in Wales; and health and social service trusts and boards in Northern Ireland.

Contact details

2. Contact Niall Smith 020 7074 3304 or 077 6777 0309 or Ruth Kennedy 020 7074 3312 or 078 8447 3086.  For out of hours media enquiries, please call the Duty Press Officer on 07880 500726.

Back to media centre