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1 Subject: Author: Lead Clinician (KCCG): Purpose: Date of meeting: Summary of initiative and benefits: Annual Complaints Report ( ) Drew Wallbank To review the feedback given through complaints 2013/018 This report provides information on complaints received by NHS CIOS during the period 1 April 2012 to 31 March There were a total of 321 complaints recorded during the year. Regulations place a duty on organisations to report the number of complaints received, those which were well-founded and those which were referred on to the Health Service Ombudsman. Stakeholder engagement: who has been involved? This report summarises feedback through the NHS Complaints Procedure from service users What are the equality and human rights implications? Complaints are monitored for any breaches of equality and human rights. Quality and patient experience impact This report shows how action is taken to remedy system failures. Finance implications/costs None identified Key risks and mitigating actions None identified Decision required For review

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3 1.0 Introduction 1.1 This report provides information on complaints received by NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly during the period 1 April 2012 to 31 March It complies with Complaints Regulations which state that the organisation should specify the number of complaints received, those which were well-founded and those which were referred to the Health Service Ombudsman. 1.2 Furthermore, it shows good practice in meeting agreed timescales with complainants. It shows how systems failures have been identified, as well as the actions taken to reduce the risk of these problems recurring. It demonstrates the value of how good complaints handling identifies risk and influences change. 2.0 Complaints Received 2.1 There were a total of 321 complaints recorded during the year. The following table shows only those complaints which came first to NHS CIOS. It does not reflect the total number of complaints directly received by other organisations. Complaints Received Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Commissioned Services Peninsula Community Health Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust 2 Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust 1 Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust 1 Tamar Referral and Appointments Centre (TRAC) 1 Serco Health Peninsula Ultrasound 1 Outlook South West 2 South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust 1 Duchy Hospital 1 1 Devon Partnership NHS Trust 1 Bodmin Treatment Centre 1 Multi-organisational RCHT/Cornwall Council 1 RCHT/GP 1 RCHT/PCH 1 1 Serco/Pharmacy 1 GP/PCH 1 RCHT/PHT/GP 1 RCHT/PHT/GP/Serco 1 Duchy/RCHT 1 GP/SWAST/Serco 1 PCH/CFT 1 Page 3

4 Complaints Received Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Independent Practitioners Dentist GP Pharmacy 1 1 Optician 1 Total The following table shows the number of complaints received each quarter and is compared with previous years. Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 TOTAL Complaints Handled by NHS CIOS 3.1 The following 190 complaints are those which concerned NHS CIOS itself, or regarded other providers and which NHS CIOS agreed to investigate. Service Issue Upheld Actions/Changes Primary Access to dentistry No n/a Failure in Yes Apology communication Individual Funding Refusal to fund No n/a Requests treatment Violent Patient Scheme Difficulty accessing GP via Serco telephone appointment system Implementation of message service at Serco Primary Access to dentistry Dental answerphone system reviewed and improved Yes 1. Failure in communication 2. Focus of assessment 1. Apology 2. Joint Social Services/NHS training event 3. Meeting with family Independent Dentist Treatment 1. Training for dentist 2. Reimbursement Independent Dentist Treatment 1. Apology 2. GDC informed Independent Dentist (as above) Treatment Yes GDC informed Out of county placement 1. Local acute beds being reviewed 2. Interim increase in local beds Page 4

5 Service Issue Upheld Actions/Changes Communication and No Advice and support offered involvement Delay in handling application for a Educated locum GP on application process Individual Funding Requests placement Refusal to fund treatment Panel will ensure they clearly communicate the relevance of social issues in decision making Independent Dentist Treatment Yes 1. Apology 2. GDC informed Availability of out of No n/a hours care 173 x Dental Access to dentistry in Camelford area NHS Board to be informed Communication 1. Cornwall Council reimbursed travel costs 2. Cornwall Council trained staff in procedure 3. Nurse assessors to routinely contact Cornwall Council to confirm attendance at appeals Policy No n/a 4.0 Themes arising from complaints 4.1 A community campaign about the commissioning of dental care for the Camelford area doubled complaints during this period. 173 complaints were received on this matter. The responsibility for commissioning dental care has passed to NHS England. 4.2 Five complaints were received regarding. A proportion of these revealed communication failures. The Continuing team handle a large volume of applications and these complaints reflect a small proportion of that total. However, as a result of these complaints appropriate apologies were made and changes implemented. 4.3 Complaints are monitored for any breach of NHS Constitution Rights. Three indicated a breach of these; the right to a professional standard of care. The General Dental Council was notified. 5.0 Health Service Ombudsman 5.1 Those complainants who remain dissatisfied after local attempts to resolve their complaint are able to seek an Independent Review by the Health Service Ombudsman. 5.2 Five NHS CIOS complaints were accepted for Independent Review. The Ombudsman declined to further investigate four of these, indicating his belief that all possible had been done locally to resolve the complaint. The other complaint is still under consideration. Page 5