Bradford among top 20 areas for number of complaints (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Bradford among top 20 areas for number of complaints

1:59pm Tuesday 9th February 2010 in

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The number of people complaining about GP services is rising, according to new figures.

In 2008/2009, 639 people in Bradford and Airedale made a written complaint about general practice, including dental services.

Of these complaints, 524 were about medical care and 115 about dental care, putting the district’s primary care trust among the top 20 PCTs in the country for the number of complaints it received, according to national healthcare charity, The Patients Association.

A spokesman for the charity said it frequently heard from patients unhappy with their GP care for a variety of reasons, including misdiagnosis, difficulty getting an appointment and poor out-of-hours care.

“Statistics now show a steep and steady rise in the number of complaints, which must be investigated, to ensure we understand why this might have happened and address concerns being highlighted,” said the spokesman.

“There has been a rise of 25 per cent in a decade, 11 per cent of which was in the last year alone.”

Director of The Patients Association Katherine Murphy said: “People generally don’t like to complain even when they are unhappy, but when it comes to GP care they are often even more reluctant because of the nature of the relationship.

“That is what makes the rise so worrying. In part it might be a good thing; people are starting to complain more, but it might also represent a real change in quality.

“Well-publicised problems with out-of-hours care might be one reason for the rise. The Department of Health and each PCT needs to look closely at these figures and ensure they understand why this has happened. We don’t want complaints disappearing into a black hole and not improving the service.”

A spokesperson for NHS Bradford and Airedale said: “It is really important that people tell us about their experience of using NHS services, both good and bad, as this helps us to know what is working or where improvements need to be made. We have a dedicated complaints manager who makes sure any complaints are thoroughly investigated.

“In addition, our patient advice and liaison service (PALS) is increasingly well used by patients and the public to resolve issues at an early stage, often avoiding the need for formal complaints.”

The PALS service can be contacted on (01274) 237555 or by e-mailing pals@bradford.nhs.uk

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