CAB Offers Help On Health Service Complaints

A new service to help patients and their families raise concerns about the NHS was launched in Scotland yesterday.

It is hoped the partnership between health boards and Citizens’ Advice Bureaux to guide people with complaints will fill a gap in support.

Research published earlier this year found many people north of the border struggle to voice issues they have with health service treatment. The study by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, which investigates complaints, found some people did not know how to complain, others did not believe it would make any difference or feared it would jeopardise care they were receiving.

Waiting times, delays, inconsistency in the medical staff seen, and staff behaviour are among the main causes of dissatisfaction with NHS Scotland.

Eric Drake, deputy ombudsman, said since regional Scottish health councils were abolished in 2005 there had been a gap in the assistance available to people with concerns about the NHS.

He said the ombudsman service had criticised the time it had taken to put new arrangements in place .

Professor Alice Brown, the ombudsman, also expressed support. She said: “I believe that this initiative will provide skilled support for people who wish to make a complaint.”

The bureaux will not adjudicate on concerns brought forward by patients. However, they will guide people through the NHS complaints process and help them engage on level terms with what can be a complicated system.

Scottish Health Council director Richard Norris said: “In the past, making a complaint about NHS services could be a daunting process but the support being made available by the Citizens’ Advice Bureaux is good news for patients, carers and the public.”