Too few complaints about hospitals and GPs are being dealt with locally, says ombudsman

doi:10.1136/bmj.d6754

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Clare Dyer

¹BMJ

The NHS in England is still failing to deal adequately with the most straightforward complaints, says the parliamentary and health service ombudsman, Ann Abraham, in her latest report.

Improvement in complaints handling by the NHS since the system was reformed three years ago is still “patchy and slow,” and too many complaints are reaching her office that should have been resolved locally, she adds.

The report names and shames the 10 most complained about hospital trusts in 2010-11, six of which are in London. Top of the league table stands the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust in the Midlands, up from 13th last year. The number …