Elderly’s right to speak out

NHS should be open to complaints

AT ITS best, the National Health Service is – without doubt – the most respected institution in the country. At its worst, on the relatively few occasions when it does not meet the expectations of patients and their families, it can appear to be an organisation bereft of care and compassion.

This is the context to today’s report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman which reveals the extent to which older people would rather ‘suffer in silence’ than make a complaint because they don’t want to feel a burden or have their care compromised. This level of anxiety cannot be ignored. In the overwhelming majority of cases, patients don’t complain because they’re motivated by a desire for compensation or to punish the hospital staff concerned.

Quite the opposite. They simply do so because they don’t want others to suffer the same discomfort or indignity and it’s time that the NHS recognised this and finessed its complaints system so patients, and their loved ones, are comfortable raising misgivings – and identifying shortcomings – if the need arises.

A legacy of the Mid Staffs scandal, a sickening low in the history of the NHS, is increased awareness about the plight of the elderly and infirm whose immobility means that they are at the mercy of others when it comes to their care needs.

This has led to a number of significant changes, and it should be remembered that the NHS is still regarded as the best, safest and most affordable healthcare system despite staff being under incredible, and often intolerable, pressure.

By being more amenable to criticism, and being seen to be open to complaints, hospitals will be able to go from strength and strength – provided, of course, that they have the financial and human resources that they require to maintain standards and provide round-the-clock care to patients of all ages and conditions. And that’s a matter for the Government.