To tell folk who have a complaint about the NHS..

[Ffsnosexallowed]

Don't, just don't.

We are all hanging on by a thread just now. We don't have the time to be investigating and responding to why your appointment 2 months ago was delayed. I'm trying to get ppe for staff visiting covid positive patients, and while I feel bad about the fact that someone in a clinic didn't hold the door open for you I just don't have the time or energy to respond to you within 5 days. I can't ask people who are desperately trying to get enough staff to visit dying people to take time to investigate why district nurses didn't arrive in time 3 months ago to change a catheter. I care about you, I really and honestly do. I want to provide a good service to you. But I can't do it all.

So don't, just don't.

Things I am grateful to the nhs for:-

• 2 years of orthodontic work to give me a smile that did not look like a pile up 😁
• years of contraception to choose when I was ready to have a family
• the ERPC to remove the missed miscarriage when we finally thought we were ready but it didn't quite work
• the tests to look into why things then just didn't happen
• the 3 safe deliveries of the babies I finally had
• saving my dc2 2 year old from pneumonia
• gluing dc1's cut in her head (fell over at nursery)
• fixing my dc3's broken leg
• patching me up after a fall
• years of dental care for my kids
• removing my dodgy mole
• the fast track review of my lump - saw the gp on Monday - consultant by Thursday
• the drugs to keep my Dh's hypertension under control
• the peaceful hospice for my grandfather to pass on surrounded by his family looking out over fields
• the cancer care for my dad - he didn't make it but they gave us another 6 months that we didn't think we would get.

Whilst I agree in principle, sometimes a complaint can be beneficial and can save lives.

www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/health/whittington-health-win-high-court-case-against-subsidiary-of-grenfell-firm-1-6536986

Sorry OP but I disagree , as an ex - nurse I do appreciate that some complaints are ridiculous and trivial however having been on the receiving end of extremely poor care myself in the last few years and having also had to put in a complaint ( 2 actually) about the care my mother received last year prior to her untimely death I feel that if someone has a complaint then they should be able to submit it whenever they feel able . I’m sure there are people in the NHS doing their very best and doing a sterling job ( my dsis included) however on the flip side there are plenty of incidents of appalling care by both nurses and doctors unfortunately .

I genuinely thought I would be shit down with my harsh response, but, I couldn’t find the right words to articulate what I felt.
I don’t think that some people realise the seriousness of our situation.

Complaints should be encouraged. Covid-19 has the potential to turn hospitals into little dictatorships and the potential to result in some very poor care and possibly lawsuits further down the line. The complaints department can often find patterns of poor care and nip them in the bud before it becomes a GMC problem.

I work in social care complaints and issues still need to be raised - poor care/meds errors etc.

I feel people should be able to submit complaints. A robust response that there may be serious delay in a response is fine. In part I feel this is for the good of the NHS after the main Covid 19 passes. It would be all too easy for politicians to praise the staff, offer some kind of pay raise and go back to more business as usual.

We need the complaints about what was immediately before to remind people just how understaffed and resourced things were everyday for nhs staff.

It would be too easy for politicians to say well of course the cleaning wasn’t great and there weren’t enough staff - it’s because it was a pandemic. Serious complaints will show that in the normal few weeks before there was unsafe staffing and not enough money or beds to allow deep cleans.

I agree with you to an extent Op there are certain things that won't and can't run as normal at the moment. Things will be delayed waiting times will rise and I hope most people will be understanding. However if you or a loved one are in hospital and are receiving bad or below standard care then absolutely complain.

Complaints aren't the problem they should highlight gaps or problems on the system. Bad care always needs investigating even if all it does is highlight the chronic underfunding and low staffing levels! Done correctly the investigation into complaints should be part of the process to implement the change needed...be that more staff, better equipment ect whatever it is the nhs needs to provide the level of care patient's need. If the system is flawed it's not the patients fault.

Just to follow- grateful to the NHS for saving my life, usually treating me with dignity respect and kindness. Going above and beyond.

Not so grateful for food on my last visit - soup and sandwiches were ok, hot stuff dreadful- not fault of staff on ward who agreed. I was only there a few days, but definitely have suffered if longer.

Yes to a certain extent. People will die in the current environment due to mistakes or cock ups. In some areas it is right to complain. When it comes to the sharp end of care for Covid 19, probably not. We are going to end up with over worked, under trained staff doing their best with insufficient equipment. Those complaints need to be political not NHS.

So the fact that due to negligence patients have been robbed of having a normal life & left in pain, but due to Covid 19 we shouldn't complain? Yes don't moan if an appointment is late or for minor inconvenience, but if serious mistakes have been made, complain. Your complaint may stop someone else suffering the same fate. I've been left virtually unable to walk or care for myself due to being prescribed a drug that is prescribed thousands of times every day, for something very minor, bladder infections, this drug has left me with no feeling in my lower legs, feet & hands, I can't even get showered on my own, since this happened I have spoken to other oeople who have suffered similar or worse things due to this antibiotic, one lady may need a lung transplant. Sorry but I will be complaining & if I can will be taking legal action against the medical practice who prescribed this drug.

@nat969 Thst sounds horrendous
Of course you should, that's around something like changing, not what this thread was suggesting. Really sorry that's happened to you

I disagree. Due to a failure to tell me blood test results my unborn child may be brain damaged and I won't know for months. That is negligence and should be complained about. As should inadequate reporting by pathologists.. If its just why has my appointment been cancelled then yes, winge but don't complain but a lot of the complaints are valid and need to be raised.

If ppl don't complain lessons don't get learnt

Coronavirus isn’t a get out jail free card for malpractice. That said, whatever is being complained about needs to wait at the moment.

YANBU. I can imagine some of the trivial complaints you receive.

If a person has a genuine complaint then they still need to put that to the relevant people. This allows gaps/training needs to be identified and hopefully prevents similar happening in future.

People complaining they are having to wait longer than usual or can't go for minor, non-urgent appointments perhaps need to consider the current situation.

That said, my Nan is seriously ill (not coronavirus) and we have just spent a week and a half in hospital and are now receiving end of life care at home. I can hand on heart say that every single person who we have had contact with, whatever their role, has been absolutely examplary. Every single person has been kind and compassionate despite being rushed off their feet and that has helped me enormously. Sadly, my Nan will.pass away within the next week, and of course I am devastated but I will be eternally grateful to the people who have helped us through.

Hard to prove malpractice with a disease that nobody had heard of 2 months ago and for which precisely no peer reviewed UK guidelines on management exist.

But go ahead and try. The lawyers must be rubbing their hands as they wait for this to pass so the £££ can begin.

Not really feeling the elbow-2 metre- elbow vibe here.

Not sure complaining about the free food is that crucial.

HappyHammy

Complaining about food provided during a pandemic would be absolutely wrong.

However in normal times nutrition, especially for people in hospital long term is vital free or not. If it happened again in normal times I would complain, copying in MP who can try to do something about the funding. I lost weight partly due to health, partly poor food. I could afford to but you start malnourished or elderly it makes a difference.

There is/was a review now. The food also covers staff (if they can get a break)

www.nursingtimes.net/news/hospital/new-hospital-food-review-consider-healthy-options-nurses-23-08-2019/

Complaints have no issues with but right now I do not have the time to answer them, when we calm down and we will then I will sit down but if you to go and get statements from nurses who are now workingGod knows where in the hospital, ask doctors to write a response and our complaints officer ( an ex nurse now rolling up her sleeves) to sort that out right now - then there is not a shit show in hells chance.

So if you think the 28 target will be met think again, we respect your right to complain but right now we can not physically answer or investigate that adequately and give it the attention is deserves.

I am honestly going to do my best throughout this crisis. But I'm not sure it will be good enough.

(((EffieIsATrinket))).

Thank you Icare1234

My father is in hospital very ill, tonight we were told that he has also contracted Coronavirus. I wish I could agree that members of the public shouldn’t complain but I can’t. Whilst some of the care he has received has been amazing and many of the staff have gone above and beyond and are truly inspirational, there have been others ( fortunately just a few) who have been awful. This year alone he has had his shoulder fractured as someone didn’t transfer him using a wheelchair as they wanted to go home, contracted MRSA but neither he nor we were told about it for a month (during which time he received no treatment nor were infection precautions taken) and , unfortunately, there have been other examples of poor care including him not being given pain medication and left to lie in his own faeces for long periods of time. From our experience , granted just in the one hospital trust but over many years, most staff appear to be excellent and are definitely underpayed but there are some who are not and who clearly do not care /are in the wrong job. It is right that people (especially those who are vulnerable) should be able to complain if the treatment received leads to harm and suffering.