Learn from complaints, communicate better and improve the patient's experience
07 July 2004
Press release 02/04
Poor communication between staff and with patients is at the root of many complaints that reach the Health Service Ombudsman, according to the Ombudsman's latest publication, HSC Selected Cases 2003 -2004 HC 704, published today.
"When health professionals don't communicate well enough with each other, or the patient and their families, the bigger picture of the patient's full needs and experiences can so easily get lost. Good communication, backed up by proper written documentation, is often the first thing to go when you are faced every day with competing demands. But when it does the likelihood of things going wrong increase and the experience for the patient and the families gets worse," said Ann Abraham, the Health Service Ombudsman. "Many of the complaints I see have this issue at their heart. The result can be unnecessary stress both to the patient and NHS staff."
"The selected cases published by the Ombudsman are intended to highlight individual examples of what went wrong and what should be done to prevent mistakes happening again. They are taken from a range of healthcare settings and across England.
The publication features 33 cases focusing on issues including:
- poor planning for the care of patients leaving hospital and a lack of involvement for the family and carers
- quality of nursing care which doesn't meet the needs of patients
- GP deputising services which are inadequate sometimes with serious consequences.
Notes for editors
- For more information, or electronic or hard copies of the report, please contact the Press Office on 0300 061 4996/3943, or by e-mail to press@ombudsman.org.uk
- Health Service Ombudsman for England, Selected Investigations Completed October 2003 to March 2004 (HC 704). From 7 July the reports can be seen on the website: www.ombudsman.org.uk
- NO INFORMATION CAN BE GIVEN ABOUT THE IDENTITIES OF THE INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED
Cases by category and region
Discharge procedures:
- E.1947/02-03 (London),
- E.2050/02-03 (Berks),
- E.1667/02-03 (London),
- E.797/01-02 (Northants),
- E.1637/03-04(Sussex).
Poor nursing care:
- E.2775/02-03 (Milton Keynes),
- E.3814/02-02 (Norfolk),
- E.1635/02-03 (Staffs),
- E.425/02-03/E.1543/01-02 (Portsmouth)
GP deputising service
- E.1853/03-04, E.187/02-03 (Birmingham),
- E.444/02-03 (London),
- E.535/02-03 (Middlesborough)
- Other cases relate to poor complaints handling by eight trusts and 10 instances of inadequate care and treatment in Dudley, Herefordshire, Leicestershire, Liverpool, Norfolk, Tyneside, Cumbria, Somerset, Chertsey, Bristol, Bromley, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Preston, Nottingham, St Helen's
Copies of reports by area are available on request
