Learning from complaints about general practitioners

Clinical governance means handling complaints betterfor both parties

General practice p 1596

Those who worry about improving quality claim that “every defect is a treasure,” but for the patient who is the victim defects can be disasters, not treasures. Patients who experience defects in care therefore need a complaints system that allows them to express their concerns, undertakes an investigation, provides an appropriate apology, and takes action to reduce the risk of harm to other patients. If such a complaints system is also to provide a supportive environment to doctors who are the subject of complaints it needs to be part of a wider set of systems that are concerned with improving quality overall.

Dissatisfaction with the previous system of handling complaints in the NHS led to the introduction of a new system in April 1996.1 Since then the complaints system has been separated from disciplinary procedures, and the new system for general practice divided into three levels. At the first level practices are required to have practice based complaints systems organised to comply with national criteria. The second …