Centre for Policy on Ageing



The pain of complaining — CAB ICAS evidence of the NHS complaints procedure
Author(s)	Liz Phelps, Ann Williams
Corporate Author	Citizens Advice - NACAB
Publisher	National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux, London, 2005
Pages	36 pp (Evidence report)
Source	Citizens Advice, 115-123 Pentonville Road, London N1 9LZ. http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk
Keywords	National Health Service ; Complaints [services] ; Reports.
Annotation	Since September 2003, the CAB Service has been delivering the Independent Complaints Advisory Service (ICAS) in six of the nine regional government areas in England. This report is based on evidence from this work, and explores the extent to which the NHS complaints procedure is delivering the Government's vision of a complaints service. The report comments on areas which should be covered by the procedure's principles of best practice, that is whether it is: open and easy to access; fair and independent; and responsive. Significant variation was found in the system, and the report recommends these priorities: raising standards and developing best practice guidance in handling complaints; improving access for making complaints; ensuring timeliness; and learning from complaints. A summary (4 pp) outlines the main findings. (RH).
Accession Number	CPA-050621203 B
Classmark	L4: QLV: 6K
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...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.