NHS trusts not learning from their mistakes, report says: Survey finds that only 20% took notice of complaints levelled against them and took resulting action to improve services.
NHS trusts are failing to learn properly from patient complaints, with most needing to make significant improvements on how they learn from mistakes, according to researchers commissioned by the health ombudsman for England in the wake of the Mid Staffs hospital scandal.
Some trusts are failing to do even basic checks on identifying and mitigating risks or to see how they are performing against other trusts, says a report from IFF Research.
They are also failing to share information that could prove vital in improving safety.
The results of 165 mainly online interviews with chief executives, board chairs, and non-executive directors at 94 hospital, ambulance, mental health and community trusts suggested only 20% reviewed learning from complaints and took resulting action to improve services.
A similar proportion said the information was "ineffective" in identifying and reducing risks to patient safety.
In addition, fewer than half the trusts measured patient satisfaction with the way complaints were handled. There was no recognised standard for complaints analysis by NHS boards, added the researchers.
A fifth of the trust leaders questioned said their organisations either did not have comment cards and boxes for complaints on premises or did not know if they did.
About one in 10 said they did not publicise their complaints process, while a similar proportion indicated their trust staff were not trained in handling complaints.
Ombudsman Julie Mellor said the results suggested "too many boards are not considering the kind of analysis they need in order to understand patient experience and use information from patient complaints to improve safety and care. From ward to board level, learning from complaints needs to improve."
The findings are being used to form part of Mellor's submission on a review of NHS complaints being undertaken by the Labour MP Ann Clwyd, who has described her distress at the way her husband was treated before he died at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, and Professor Tricia Hart, who was an assessor for the Francis inquiry into what went wrong at Mid Staffs. She is chief executive of South Tees Hospitals foundation trust. The Guardian
NHS trusts are failing to learn properly from patient complaints, with most needing to make significant improvements on how they learn from mistakes, according to researchers commissioned by the health ombudsman for England in the wake of the Mid Staffs hospital scandal.
Some trusts are failing to do even basic checks on identifying and mitigating risks or to see how they are performing against other trusts, says a report from IFF Research.
They are also failing to share information that could prove vital in improving safety.
The results of 165 mainly online interviews with chief executives, board chairs, and non-executive directors at 94 hospital, ambulance, mental health and community trusts suggested only 20% reviewed learning from complaints and took resulting action to improve services.
A similar proportion said the information was "ineffective" in identifying and reducing risks to patient safety.
In addition, fewer than half the trusts measured patient satisfaction with the way complaints were handled. There was no recognised standard for complaints analysis by NHS boards, added the researchers.
A fifth of the trust leaders questioned said their organisations either did not have comment cards and boxes for complaints on premises or did not know if they did.
About one in 10 said they did not publicise their complaints process, while a similar proportion indicated their trust staff were not trained in handling complaints.
Ombudsman Julie Mellor said the results suggested "too many boards are not considering the kind of analysis they need in order to understand patient experience and use information from patient complaints to improve safety and care. From ward to board level, learning from complaints needs to improve."
The findings are being used to form part of Mellor's submission on a review of NHS complaints being undertaken by the Labour MP Ann Clwyd, who has described her distress at the way her husband was treated before he died at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, and Professor Tricia Hart, who was an assessor for the Francis inquiry into what went wrong at Mid Staffs. She is chief executive of South Tees Hospitals foundation trust. The Guardian
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