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  1. Student
  2. Resolving complaints
  3. Resolving complaints
Student Careers

Resolving complaints

BMJ 2004; 328 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/sbmj.0403108 (Published 01 March 2004) Cite this as: BMJ 2004;328:0403108
  1. Anahita Kirkpatrick, medicolegal adviser1
  1. 1Medical Defence Union, London

Although complaints can be upsetting, they provide an opportunity for doctors and students to resolve patients' concerns about their treatment at an early stage. Anahita Kirkpatrick offers some advice on how handling your complaint well can prevent it from turning more serious

Department of Health figures show complaints about general practitioners' services have increased by 20% a year on average since the NHS complaints system was introduced in April 1996, although the most recent figures show a slight decrease in numbers.1 Patients are no longer passive consumers of the care provided by their doctors. Improved education, increased expectations, the internet, and blanket media coverage of rare extreme cases may be some of the reasons for the increasing number of complaints.

Complaints about students

In the Medical Defence Union's experience, complaints about medical students are unusual, but if a complaint were to arise from your involvement, the complaint would be handled in line with NHS complaints procedure. Most complaints are considered at local level through correspondence between the trust and the complainant and possibly a meeting to try to resolve the concerns raised. You are unlikely to be asked to respond directly to the complainant, but you might well be asked to provide information to your supervisor or consultant to enable the trust to respond.

Common complaints

During your professional lifetime as a doctor, you may encounter at least one complaint, if not several. However, you can take steps to reduce the likelihood of receiving a complaint. Many complaints stem from simple confusion and misunderstandings--communication is an important factor in most of the complaints the union sees. Patients' anxiety can mean that they may not take in everything that is said during a consultation, so it is vital to set out what you intend to do in clear and simple language, explaining any complicated technical …

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