NHS COMPLAINTS SERVICE SHOULD BE BETTER KNOWN

14 October 2011
Thursday 13 October 2011
Commenting on the Care Quality Commission report on the treatment of older people in hospital, Valerie Harrison, chief executive of the charity, POhWER, whose 150 professional advocates help the majority of people making NHS complaints in England, said:
'It is such a shame that when reports like this are issued people are not made aware of the statutory right that patients have to a free independent complaints advocacy service.
'We can help people talk through their experience and support them to raise their concerns at every level.
' Last year professional advocates supported over 12,000 patients with their NHS complaints and with excellent results. Treatments improved and changes were made to hospital procedures.
'These complaints are very important in improving healthcare - but it also important to remember their impact on patients who rely on the NHS.
'If concerned older patients or their friends or relatives come to us, or to one of the two other providers of the Department of Health's own Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS), we can have an advocate work with them to say what is going or wrong, and get things put right.
'The problem is that while hospitals are supposed to tell patients and relatives about ICAS this does not happen consistently.
'Too many patients suffer in silence and relatives don't know where to turn.
'The Health Committee's review of the NHS complaints and litigation issued earlier this year said that complaints service needs to be made better known throughout the health service - we agree.'

Source: pohwer

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