NHS complaints at record levels

The number of complaints about NHS hospitals and community health services in England is at a record high, figures reveal.

In just a year the number of complaints rose from 89,139 to 101,077 – a 13.4 per cent rise and the biggest year-on-year increase since 1997/98, according to data from the NHS Information Centre.

The report showed that the highest number of complaints (44.2 per cent) related to the medical profession. The second highest proportion related to nurses, midwives and health visitors (22 per cent), while NHS administrative staff accounted for 9 per cent.

The biggest percentage of complaints related to "all aspects of clinical treatment" (42.2 per cent), followed by staff attitude (12.2 per cent), and delays or cancellations to outpatient appointments (10.6 per cent).

Katherine Murphy, from the Patients Association, said the rise in complaints was very worrying.