Complaints in context
We received 23% more complaints about doctors in 2011 than in 2010 which led to one in 64 doctors being investigated by the GMC.
Looking at this more closely may help us to understand where patients’ expectations are not being met, where there may be particular challenges and where doctors may need more support.
We received more complaints from the public
Complaints from members of the public rose by 25% in 2011 and accounted for the majority of all the complaints that we received.
The main issues people complained about were also the issues that patients, as opposed to doctors, tended to complain about including clinical care and relationships with patients (which includes issues such as effective communication, respect for patients and consideration of their family and carers).
We needed to take forward more complaints
In 2011, we needed to investigate a complaint about one in 64 doctors. This is compared with one in 68 doctors in 2010.
The nature of the complaints we investigated varied according to different stages of doctors’ careers. For doctors who had been qualified longer, we needed to investigate:
- a lower proportion of allegations about probity
- a higher proportion of allegations about clinical care, with an overall increase that appears to coincide with the end of specialist training
- a higher proportion of allegations about relationships with patients.
Why have complaints, and those we need to take forward, risen?
We don’t know. It’s likely that there are a number of factors including better clinical governance systems, improved reporting culture and changing patient expectations. It is also possible that standards of practice have declined.
What have others said?
Health minister Dr Dan Poulter said:
‘The GMC is rightly taking steps to better understand and deal with an increase in complaints, but it is important to reassure people that this does not mean that medical standards are falling and complaints to the GMC are not always directly related quality of front line patient care.’
Dr Catherine Wills, medico-legal adviser at the MDU said:
‘There is much food for thought in the report... particularly about the reasons patients complain. In particular, there has been a rise in complaints alleging communication problems and lack of respect. In the MDU's experience, problems with communication are often at the heart of complaints, for example where patients feel they were not clearly warned about complications that arise from their treatment.
‘It is important to listen to patients concerns, share information with them in a way they can understand and give them a chance to ask questions. It is particularly important to be honest and open with patients when things have gone wrong and to apologise.’
Dr Mark Porter, BMA Chair of Council said:
‘It is a good thing that patients feel more empowered to raise their concerns but it is important that there is further research to find out why there has been an increase and the nature of the complaints being made.
'Even though medical standards remain high and the number of complaints is very small, compared to the millions of consultations every year, we should always strive to find ways of improving the quality of care.’
What do you think?
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