Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

 
Listening and Learning
the Ombudsman’s review of complaint handling by the NHS in England 2010-11

Health complaints received by body type

  • 6,924 (46%)NHS hospital, specialist
    and teaching trusts (acute)
  • 2,714 (18%) Primary care trusts
  • 2,581 (17%)General practitioners
  • 1,356 (9%)Mental health, social care and learning disability trusts
  • 707 (5%)General dental practitioners
  • 240 (2%)Strategic health authorities
  • 226 (2%)Ambulance trusts
  • 97 (1%) Pharmacies
  • 88 (1%) Care trusts
  • 79 (1%) Special health authorities
  • 36 (0%) Healthcare Commission
  • 18 (0%)Opticians

15,066

Total

The above chart shows that almost half of the complaints which we received were about acute trusts, and about 40 per cent were about primary care services (this includes complaints about GPs, general dental practitioners, pharmacies, opticians and primary care trusts (PCTs)). This mirrors the pattern we saw last year and is reflected in the complaints accepted for formal investigation.