Complaints about Derriford Hospital rise for the first time in four years
WRITTEN complaints about Derriford Hospital have risen for the first time in four years.
The hospital recorded 733 complaints during 2011/12, according to a report by the Health and Social Care Information Centre.
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Derriford Hospital
The figure rose from the previous year's 703 and is the first increase since 2007/08.
Managers called the 4.3 per cent hike 'disappointing'.
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But they said figures have dropped overall in the past six years, from a high of 944 in 2005/06.
The national report reveals that nationally around 3,100 written complaints about the NHS were lodged every week in the past year across England.
Almost half were about hospital doctors and surgeons while more than one in five of the complaints were made about nurses, midwives and health visitors.
Jayne Glynn, Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust patient experience manager, said Derriford has improved complaints handling in the past year to obtain patient feedback more quickly and easily.
She said: "We recognise that complaints are a valuable source of feedback for us.
"We recognise that there is still more work to be done and it is disappointing to note that we had a small rise in the number of written complaints received between April 1, 2011 and March 31, 2012 compared to the previous year.
"We are working closely with patient representatives and organisations such as Plymouth LINk and the Patient Association, to continue to improve our processes and to provide our patients with the best experience we can give them."
She added the hospital also records hundreds of letters of thanks received from our patients and their relatives.
Derriford, one of the largest hospitals in the country, sees around 800,000 patients a year.
According to the report Plymouth Primary Care Trust's (PCT) figure dropped from 190 in 2010 to just three in 2011/12.
The dramatic drop is due to services transferring to community interest company Plymouth Community Healthcare (PCH) amid NHS reforms.
PCH recorded 150 written complaints in 2011/12.
Nationally, just over 162,100 were made about the NHS in 2011/12.
Although this in an eight per cent rise from the previous year, the comparison is skewed by 23 NHS Foundation Trusts submitting data in 2011/12 but not for the previous year.
Comparing the 501 NHS organisation – 350 NHS trusts and 151 Primary Care Trusts – which reported data for both years, the rise was just over one per cent.
David Stout, NHS Confederation deputy chief executive, said: "An increase in the number of complaints doesn't necessarily mean that patients are less satisfied with their care. Although it sounds peculiar, a rise in complaints data can actually mean that patients feel more engaged with their local NHS and want to work with it to improve."
Comments
by Nevman
Tuesday, September 11 2012, 12:25AM
“The fundamental problem with Derriford Hospital can be summed up by today's life-enhancing news that inpatients will have the opportunity to play with a Nintendo.
"Never mind that the ship's sinking, let's put out some deckchairs" seems to be the management's attitude.”
by MissAnthrope
Sunday, September 09 2012, 9:10AM
“I hope those vile people in the pay cartel are braced for the massive increase in complaints that will follow the huge reduction in patient care they are proposing to implement across the South West. Mind you, I'm sure they are doing well for themselves out of it, so they probably don't give a toss.”
by renegade20122
Sunday, September 09 2012, 7:38AM
“the best up at derriford was the navy nurses ,,, i been on a few wards and nhs wards are **** they treat u bad they leave u waiting for ages last time i went in the discharged one guy o i could have the bed at 11 in morning i did not get my bed till 5 30 in the afternoon ,,,, i had to wait in a little room for hours ,,,,,
derriford needs to look at all staff way they speak to people way they act towards them and change
see people when they need to be seen and if their is a delay to tell people that a delay is there ,,,,
,,,,,
if we are late for a appointment we cant be seen but they seem to keep us waiting for ages and we expected to stay there and see the doc
they wanna make parking easier for everyone ,,,, maybe bring charges down ,, as they are high ,,, u can never tell how long u be there for and if doctors are late then more in charges u have to pay for parking even tho not yr fault for the lateness of a doctor,,,,, maybe if doctors are late in seeing the people should give a note to who ever parks so they don't get charged over pay for parking ,,,,,,,”
by Kempy
Saturday, September 08 2012, 5:59PM
“Having been a patient many times it dose seem to be SOME nurses and domestics that make it bad for those who do care. But at least they've got a job,never mind that patients need to be CARED for.”
by deputydog
Saturday, September 08 2012, 5:53PM
“my husband who is in his ninties regulary has to go to ane we are always treated with respect and cannot fault the care everyone is so lovely and the ambulance crews are brill”
by marc1964
Saturday, September 08 2012, 8:19AM
“Funny ole thing that complaints have risen since the majority of military people stoped working in the hospital and left to serve in Afgan etc and agencey nurses taken on . Just goes to show how all walks of life depend on the good work done by our armed forces even if it is not widley known.”