Complaints about your doctor -

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GP complaints could be made behind their backs

OnMedica reporters

Tuesday, 19 June 2007

Patients will be able to complain to their PCT about their GP rather than directly under a new complaints system being consulted on.The Department of Health has launched a consultation paper on a new approach to dealing with complaints in health and social care with the aim of making complaints easier, more user-friendly, cooperative and more responsive to people's needs, involving an independent element where required.

Currently there are separate complaints procedures for health and adult social care and different arrangements for children's complaints.

The government believes the different systems are not easy for people to understand and are seen as lengthy and bureaucratic, so people are put off complaining because they feel too intimidated, or worried about the potential impact a complaint may have on their relationship with their GP or social worker.

The consultation, which closes on October 17, proposes a new more locally focused system, encourages health and social care organisations to listen to people's experiences, be more responsive and improve services accordingly.

The new unified health and social care arrangements aim to:

resolve complaints locally using a personal and flexible approach to handling complaints ensure early and effective resolution of all cases give people the option of going direct to their PCT with a complaint about their GP, instead of complaining directly to the GP and to make sure people with complaints have access to effective support ensure organisations improve the services they provide by routinely learning from people's experiences.

Health Minister Lord Hunt said: "We know from recent research that people find the current complaints procedures hard to understand which is why we are consulting on a radical new unified approach across health and social care.

"We have committed to implementing a single, comprehensive complaints process across health and social care which better reflects the way in which services are provided and people use them."

The Medical Defence Union immediately responded saying that the new complaints procedure must be equally fair to doctors.

Dr , MDU medico-legal adviser, said: "We support the principle of a simplified two-stage, complaints procedure.

"The procedure should be easy for patients to understand and use, and we welcome the emphasis on resolving concerns effectively locally. However, it is important that the new procedure is fair to doctors who are complained about, as well as to those making the complaint.

"We understand the reasons given for allowing patients to complain to another body such as a PCT if, for example, their relationship with a GP has broken down badly, but the doctor who is the subject of the complaint should still be involved and must be allowed to contribute to the response to the complaint. It is only fair.

"The doctor must be allowed the opportunity to say what happened and also, as appropriate, to apologise and learn from the complaint, as well taking responsibility for any changes that may be necessary as a result."