Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman publishes consultation on Complaints Standards Framework
28th July, 2020
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) has published a consultation regarding shaping the future of the NHS complaint handling through the introduction of a Complaints Standards Framework (CSF), following the PHSO's report "Making Complaints Count: Supporting complaints handling in the NHS and UK Government Departments" dated July 2020.
The PHSO’s July 2020 report highlighted numerous issues regarding how complaints were made against the NHS and how the public bodies dealt with these. In particular, the report found the following issues:
- There is inconsistency in complaint handling across the NHS, leading to variable outcomes for people who complain.
- Investigations are often carried out by staff who have limited or no training, or who lack appropriate support, putting them under significant pressure.
- Organisations too often see complaints negatively, which leaves complaint staff feeling unvalued, unsupported and lacking the necessary resources to carry out their role effectively.
The draft CSF focuses on the following four core principles in order to improve the complaints process:
- Promoting a learning and improvement culture in relation to complaints.
- Positively seeking feedback to drive improvement.
- Being thorough and fair when dealing with complaints.
- Giving fair and accountable decisions, in particular taking accountability for when things have gone wrong, leading to complaints being made.
It is hoped that this CSF will help to promote a consistent, high quality complaint handling within the NHS and will ensure that vital learning on patient safety is not missed.
The consultation closes on 18 September 2020 and response can be submitted here.
Please note that this briefing is designed to be informative, not advisory and represents our understanding of English law and practice as at the date indicated. We would always recommend that you should seek specific guidance on any particular legal issue.
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