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25 Sep 2012
More than 8,000 people submitted a formal complaint to the NHS last year, an increase of 1000 in the space of 12 months.
The majority of grievances related to the standard of treatment and the behaviour or attitude of staff, while one in 10 cited waiting times as their main concern.
It means across Scotland, there are 22 complaints a day from patients, the data from ISD Scotland stated.
Despite the rise in hospitals and other healthcare settings, the number of those dissatisfied with the Scottish Ambulance Service fell by almost half.
The rise in overall complaints comes at a time of dwindling staff across Scotland’s hospitals, with ISD analysts stating it was the largest ever increase in grievances since the revision of procedures in 2005.
Scottish Conservative health spokesman and deputy leader Jackson Carlaw MSP said:
“It is no coincidence that, as the SNP slashes nursing and midwifery numbers, the level of complaints rises.
“This is despite promises, when it embarked on these efficiency savings, that there would be no detriment to the frontline.
“The key thing is these complaints are dealt with swiftly and thoroughly, and that lessons are learned and those responsible are accountable.
“We should not require the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman to step in to intervene, often in favour of the patient or family.
“Often these people simply want an apology, yet have to go through the most complicated of red tape to get one.
“A significant proportion of these complaints are about staff, who are clearly feeling the strain of the various cutbacks being made by the Scottish Government.
“These figures come as we are seeing rising negligence bills, which proves the Scottish Government would rather pay off those with gripes, instead of fronting up to the issues raised.”
To see the full report, visit:
http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Quality-Improvement/Publications/2012-09-25/2012-09-25-Complaints-Report.pdf?42429751158
