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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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The "tip of the iceberg"
— a survey of complaints registered by community health councils, concerning the care of older people in NHS hospitals | | Author(s) | Kim Willcock |
| Corporate Author | Help the Aged |
| Publisher | Help the Aged, London, 1997 |
| Pages | 12 pp |
| Source | Help the Aged, St James's Walk, Clerkenwell Green, London EC1R OBE. |
| Keywords | Complaints [services] ; Hospital services ; National Health Service ; Management [care] ; Social surveys. |
| Annotation | A new NHS complaints procedure was implemented in 1996. This survey was conducted between 6 October 1996 and 16 October 1997. Of the 20 community health councils (CHCs) in the sample and interviewed, 6 provided data by searching their records for complaints about older care, 7 provided estimates of the numbers of complaints received in the previous 12 months (because data not readily available), and 6 provided no data. Most complaints registered with CHCs concern a lack of care, a lack of respect and a lack of information given to relatives. Most complaints can be traced to a lack of resources, a shortage of nurses, and a lack of effective communication. There is no standard procedure for recording and monitoring complaints made about the care of older people in NHS hospitals. The report makes recommendations about information, advice and support for making a complaint. There should be Patients' Advocates on age care wards to represent patients' interests, and CHC officers should visit hospitals regularly to monitor standards of care. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-000906209 B |
| Classmark | QLV: LD: L4: QA: 3F |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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