Confirmed: Patients’ Commissioner will not probe complaints of patients

Patients wanting to complain about their treatment will not be encouraged to contact Scotland’s new Patient Safety Commissioner, official papers confirm, writes Marion Scott.

They will instead be told to complain to their health authority, as they do now. Correspondence about the scope of the role, released under Freedom of Information Laws, shows the commissioner will not deal with individual complaints although they will be able to take “reports” from patients and the public.

In June we revealed patients would not be able to complain to the commissioner directly when the Scottish Government used social media to deny our story.

A document outlining the commissioner’s role, signed off by ministers, said: “The commissioner would not take on individual complainant cases: there are existing mechanisms for this. But they would be open to receiving reports and information directly from patients, healthcare staff and the general public.”

Mesh survivor Claire Daisley said: “Our concern is that if the system doesn’t allow for oversight from an independent body such as a Patient Safety Commissioner, and patients are required to engage directly with health boards, that will stymie any early warning system that could quickly identify when things go wrong.”

The Scottish Government said: “There are already wellestablished processes for pursuing complaints or legal actions.”