NHS Complaints Up In Fife

There has been an increase in the number of complaints made to the NHS in Scotland.

22,417 grievances were lodged with the health service last year, an average of 61 per day. Over 400 were made in Fife, a 5.9% increase on the previous year. Less than half were responded to within 20 days.

The figures - published today - include hospital, GP, outpatient, dental and optician appointments.

Health Secretary Shona Robison said: "In the overwhelming majority of cases the NHS does a fantastic job. However, in an organisation of this size, which deals with such a vast and increasing number of patients, there will be occasions when people’s experiences of the NHS do not meet their expectations. When that happens boards must listen to and act on that feedback. Indeed, we want and need to hear the views of patients, in particular when things go wrong, so we can learn and do better the next time.

"The number of complaints we are seeing reflects a better awareness of how people can give feedback and make a complaint – and confidence that their complaint will be listened to and acted on. It shows that our work to ensure our NHS is open, transparent and able to learn from mistakes is paying off."

Fife MSP Murdo Fraser said: "With complaints on the rise again it is becoming patently obvious that nurses and doctors in NHS Fife and Tayside are buckling under the pressure.
 
"Within NHS Tayside I have been contacted by several constituents who have had multiple elective operations cancelled due to demands on theatre time and it is clear that there are real issues over whether referral to treatment time targets are being met. The Scottish Government must act fast otherwise care at our hospitals and health centres will suffer.

"Patient welfare should be the Government’s number one priority and when resources are stretched this is usually the first thing to suffer and I am calling on them to reverse this trend in complaints."

NHS Fife's Nursing Director, Helen Paterson, said:

“NHS Fife strives to provide the best possible quality of care to our patients at all times and we are constantly looking at ways to further improve our services. Over the last few years we have worked hard to improve the ways and means that patients can feedback about their experiences – both negative and positive – and we are confident that there has been a cultural shift where patients are increasingly likely to engage with us in this respect.

“Central to this has been the expansion of feedback platforms and there are now numerous ways that patients, carers and visitors can feedback, such as our new digital on-ward surveys, feedback forms, our on-site Patient Relations team, and independent online initiatives such as the Patient Advice and Support Service (PASS) and the independent Patient Opinion.”