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Publication, Part of

Data on Written Complaints in the NHS, 2021-22 Quarter 3 and Quarter 4

National statistics

Publication Date:
7 Jul 2022
Geographic Coverage:
England
Geographical Granularity:
Ambulance Trusts, Care Trusts, Clinical Commissioning Groups, Hospital and Community Health Services, Hospital Trusts, Hospital Sites, Independent Sector Health Care Providers, Mental Health Trusts, NHS Trusts, GP practices, Regions, Dental practices
Date Range:
01 Apr 2015 to 31 Mar 2022
National Statistics

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Data on Written Complaints in the NHS, 2021-22 Quarter 3 and Quarter 4

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Introduction

Review of the frequency of the KO41a secondary care complaints collection and publication

Considering the organisational restructure taking place across the NHS in 2022-23 and other factors affecting the return, we are currently reviewing the collection and publication cycle of the KO41a for the 2022-23 year. Primarily, we are looking to move to a single, annual collection and publication. We will be engaging with users to fully understand the impact of any suggested changes. If you would like to engage with us as we conduct this review, please contact us at [email protected]. Users will be notified of changes as soon as possible after the review has been completed.

7 July 2022 09:30 AM

Page contents

Summary

This quarterly publication is a count of written complaints made by or on behalf of patients about NHS Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) in England. They are collected via the KO41a form.

Key Facts

For the period 1 October – 31 December 2021 (2021-22 Q3):

  • There were 25,555 new HCHS written complaints compared to 27,994 in 2021-22 Q2.
  • During the period 24,639 complaints were resolved, of these 6,783 (27.5%) were upheld, 9,457 (38.4%) were partially upheld and 8,399 (34.1%) were not upheld.

For the 25,555 new complaints made:

  • There were 45,245 subject areas1 recorded, of which 25.7% (11,642) were complaints relating to clinical treatment. The largest proportion by all subject areas were about communication with 16.8% (7,614) then patient care including nutrition/hydration at 13.1% (5,940).
  • There were 35,821 relating to a profession1. The largest proportion was attributed to medical staff with 39.8% (14,263) followed by nursing staff at 23.9% (8,576).

 

For the period 1 January – 31 March 2022 (2021-22 Q4):

  • There were 25,616 new HCHS written complaints compared to 25,555 in 2021-22 Q3.
  • During the period 22,038 complaints were resolved, of these 5,721 (26.0%) were upheld, 8,520 (38.7%) were partially upheld and 7,797 (35.4%) were not upheld.

For the 25,616 new complaints made:

  • There were 46,397 subject areas1 recorded, of which 26.1% (12,132) were complaints relating to clinical treatment. The largest proportion by all subject areas were about communication with 16.8% (7,774) then patient care including nutrition/hydration at 12.9% (5,982).
  • There were 36,662 relating to a profession1. The largest proportion was attributed to medical staff with 38.3% (14,026) followed by nursing staff at 25.5% (9,351).

 

1 A written complaint can cover multiple subjects, service and professional areas. Therefore, the total complaints by subject, service and profession can be greater than the number of new complaints.

Last edited: 6 July 2022 2:39 pm