First Questions to ask
What does the complainant want to achieve?
Is it realistic?
Most people who complain to the NHS want four things
- to be taken seriously
- an explanation of what happened
- a sincere apology, when appropriate
- changes to be made, so that the same thing cannot happen to anyone else.
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The role of ICAS advocates
Do not exceed your role. Remember your role is not to investigate the complaint but to help the complainant consider whether it could be resolved by the NHS complaints procedure.
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It is rare for a complainant to be motivated by prejudice or malice. Some complainants may be difficult to relate to, sometimes because of feelings of anger, grief or guilt, or because of underlying medical or communication difficulties. This does not mean that their complaints are not justified, but it can mean that it may be very difficult to satisfy their expectations. It is crucial to explain clearly what ICAS can and can’t do and what outcome complainants can expect from making a complaint. A big, on-going challenge for ICAS as a whole is not to lose the substance of a complaint because of the complainant’s presentation of the complaint.
The type of outcomes complainants can expect to achieve through the NHS Complaints Procedure are:
- an investigation into what happened
- an apology
- a clearer understanding by the NHS about why the complainant was unhappy with the service they received
- as a result of that understanding, changes to the way the NHS delivers a service, making sure that what happened doesn’t happen to anyone else in the future
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Remind complainants of the positive value of complaints, from the NHS point of view
- they are a measure of quality (or lack of it)
- they are a catalyst for change
- they aid future planning
- they reflect opinions and views of their users
- they project the image of the organisation
- they can be an early warning system
St Georges Hospital Tooting
http://www.publications.doh.gov.uk/complaints/toolkit/pdf/stgeorgesresource.pdf (external link) |
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Next: What would be the most appropriate approach(es) to achieve this end?
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