Patients in the Picture: Experiences of feeding back to the NHS

Healthwatch Devon undertook a review of people's experiences of giving feedback, raising concerns and making complaints about NHS services, alongside an assessment of how Devon NHS Trusts had responded to the recommendations of the 2013 Clwyd-Hart review Putting Patients Back in the Picture. The survey received 205 responses from members of the public and examined confidence in NHS feedback and complaints systems.

The report found that relatively few people had formally provided feedback to NHS services, with around a quarter having offered positive feedback, raised a concern or made a complaint. Many people who chose not to give feedback said they felt it would make no difference, were unsure how to complain, feared impacts on their care, or simply felt their care had been satisfactory. A recurring theme was a lack of confidence that feedback would lead to change. A subsequent Healthwatch poll found that nearly two-thirds of respondents were not confident that public feedback is heard and acted upon by the NHS. 

Among those who had raised issues, experiences were mixed. While most people felt listened to and respected, and more than half reported being signposted to support services, a majority were dissatisfied with how their complaint was ultimately handled. Common frustrations included difficulty identifying the right person to contact, having to repeat their story multiple times, delays in responses, poor communication and a lack of visible action following complaints. Many respondents wanted clearer explanations, better follow-up and evidence that lessons had been learned. 

At the same time, Healthwatch found evidence that NHS Trusts in Devon had made progress in response to the Clwyd-Hart recommendations. Examples included improved access to feedback mechanisms, use of volunteers to support patients, greater promotion of PALS services, local resolution meetings, enhanced communication with complainants and stronger governance around learning from complaints. However, accredited training for complaints handlers remained an area of concern. 

Overall, Healthwatch Devon concluded that NHS organisations were taking complaints and feedback more seriously and had introduced a range of improvements, but that public confidence remained fragile. Recommendations focused on sharing good practice across organisations, expanding volunteer involvement, improving responsiveness, monitoring satisfaction with complaint outcomes, and developing accredited training for complaint handlers.