GP complaint handling – An opportunity to improve

A report published today by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman puts GP complaint handling in the spotlight and shows practices how to do it better.

We contributed to this report, which shows that whilst more than half of GP practices are handling complaints well others are falling short, leading to lost opportunities to improve patient care.

Where GP surgeries handled complaints well, patients reported satisfaction that their GP made complaining simple and easy, and the practice took their complaints seriously.

The report also sets out areas where GPs should improve their complaint handling. Its recommendations emphasise that change can only come if everyone works together and focuses on how GP practices should be supported to develop a listening and learning culture.

We will continue to investigate complaint handing as part of our inspection programme.