1. The Importance of Good Communication in Complaints
Caroline Kerby
Director of Strategic Development – Harness Care
National Executive Committee – NHS Alliance

2. The role of communication in complaints
All complaints involve communication
Poor communication will escalate a complaint
It is essential not just to hear but to listen to complainants
Good communication is essential both internally and externally
Increasingly important to communication how learning from complaints is applied

3. Size of communication factor in UK?
Errors in communication were behind one third of hospital complaints in
Non medical aspects such as attitude and the quality and accuracy of information featured in half
71% of complaints were about the hospital and its staff
29% were between departments or external providers
General practice is more likely to only focus on clinical aspects than hospitals or dental practices

4. Importance of proactive communication
For practices to learn from feedback, concerns and complaints, they need to encourage feedback in all its forms and ensure people are told how to make a complaint as well as being signposted to sources of advice and support.'   
Parliamentary Health Ombudsman

5. How Care Quality Commission view responsiveness
Practice A had 2 complaints in a 12 month period
Practice B had 32 complaints in a 12 month period
Who was outstanding and who was inadequate?
“A service that is safe, responsive and well-led will treat feedback, concerns and complaints as an opportunity to improve”

6. Communication is a two way activity
“sometimes practices fail to understand what the individual expects as a result of their feedback, perhaps owing to a lack of experience in dealing with feedback, concerns and complaints, making it very difficult to manage patient expectations, sometimes causing issues to worsen” 

7. Key factors in effective complaints handling
Get it right
Be customer focussed
Be open and accountable
Act fairly and proportionately
Put things right
Seek continuous improvement

8. Strong leadership
Leading by example communicates commitment of the organisations to quality and improvement
Communicates the values of the organisation
Support for staff through complaints
Communicate ownership of the policy and processes
Set tone of importance put on feedback to all staff

9. A listening culture invites feedback
Outstanding examples (CQC)
The practice left a “You said – We did” card on every home visit to ensure all patients were kept informed of how feedback was use to improve care and invite patients to provide feedback

10. “An apology is not an invitation to litigation or a sign of organisational weakness” Parliamentary Ombudsman

11. Hints and tips
Simple, clear policy and procedure that is well communicated to staff and service users
Speed of acknowledging and dealing with a complaint – keeping all parties informed and aim to keep to agree timeframe or communicate unavoidable delays
Listening and seeking clarification – explain issues such as data protection
Good coordination between parties
Clear expectation of what can be achieved
Clear explanation of decisions, remedies and learning
Good and consistent record keeping
Open and accessible irrespective of diversity, background or circumstance – explain why similar complaints may have different outcome