Patient complaints do not always involve isolated events. More often they result from a series of events or adverse incidents. So it is important to bear in mind that a practice may have numerous opportunities to intervene and prevent a patient concern escalating into a formal complaint.
A patient or anyone with authority to act on the patient’s behalf can instigate a complaint (see MDDUS Essential guide to consent). In England complainants have 12 months to act from the occurrence that gives rise to the complaint or from the time the complainant became aware of the matter. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland the policy is more flexible but complaints should normally be made within six months of the incident or within six months of the date of discovery provided that is within 12 months of the incident.
What do complainants want? Most patients are not interested in pursuing long drawn-out formal complaint procedures. More often than not a complaint can be dealt with on the spot with an honest and direct explanation and apology (where appropriate). Often just listening without interruption to a patient’s concern can be enough to defuse the situation.
Patients seek a variety of outcomes when choosing to complain, which may include: • • • •
•
being “heard out” acknowledgement of a wrong done explanation of why things went wrong convincing assurance that the problem will be addressed and will not happen again either to the patient or other patients apology demonstrating sincere regret.
Research bears this out. A survey of 1007 complaints found that the primary concern of patients was to ensure that the same thing did not happen to another patient. Only 7% of patients who complain do so in hopes of financial compensation.2
Keeping these desired
outcomes in mind when dealing with concerns can often prevent escalation to a formal complaint.
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