In 2010-11 we received 15,066 health complaints, compared to 14,429 in 2009-10, and continued work on 1,308 carried over from 2009-10.

We resolved 15,186 complaints, compared to 15,579 in 2009-10, and carried over 1,188 into 2011-12.

9,547 complaints were made to us before the local NHS had done all they could to respond. We gave the people making those complaints advice about how to complain to the NHS, and how to complain to us again if they were not satisfied with the response from the NHS.

We also gave advice on 325 complaints that were not in our remit, such as complaints about privately funded healthcare. We signposted people to the correct organisation to complain to, where possible.

For 3,339 complaints we reassured the complainant that there was no case for the NHS to answer, or we explained how the NHS had already put things right.

We achieved a swift resolution in 487 complaints. We resolved 230 of those complaints by intervening directly with the NHS, compared to 219 in 2009-10. In a further 257 complaints we provided the remedy ourselves. Often, this involved our clinical advisers providing the complainant with a clear explanation about what had happened.

On 1,137 occasions last year, the complainant chose not to progress their complaint further, or did not put the complaint in writing, as the law requires.

We accepted 351 complaints for formal investigation, compared with 346 in 2009-10.

We reported on 349¹ complaints investigated. Of which, 79% were upheld or partly upheld.

The two most common reasons complainants gave us for dissatisfaction with NHS complaint handling were poor explanations and no acknowledgement of mistakes.

The two most common reasons complainants gave us for dissatisfaction with the NHS in the first place were clinical care and treatment and poor communication.

1.The number of complaints reported on is different from the number accepted for investigation because some investigations were not completed in the year and others from the previous year were reported on.