Informal complaints procedure in general practice: first year's experience

BMJ 1994;308:1546-1549 (11 June)

General practice

Informal complaints procedure in general practice: first year's experience

P C Pietroni, S De Uray-Ura

Marylebone Health Centre, London NW1 5LT Correspondence to: Dr PC Pietroni, Centre for Community Care and Primary Health, University of Westminster, London W1M 9FB.

Abstract

Objective : To evaluate the first year's experience of an informalpatient complaints system that encourages extensive patientparticipation.
Design : Audit of an informal complaints procedure.
Setting : The Marylebone Health Centre, London.
Subjects : 39 complaints received over the audit period.
Main outcome measures : Types of complaints (administrative,about doctors or medical care or both, staff about patients,mixed, other) and resolution of complaints (how complaints weredealt with and their resolution).
Results : 37 of the 39 complaints were resolved within twoweeks. Two complaints sent direct to the family health servicesauthority were resolved (with patients' agreement) by the informalcomplaints procedure.
Conclusions : The informal complaints procedure was more costeffective than the family health services authority system andwas comparatively straightforward to implement within the practicewithout major organisational restructuring. The two way processof the procedure ensured patients received a quick responseto complaints and helped morale of health centre staff.

Practice implications

Practice implications
Informal in house complaints procedures are more cost effective than formal family health services authority systems
Practice based systems result in rapid resolution of complaints
Practice based systems facilitate audit of performance and encourage policy and procedural changes
Informal complaints procedures represent good customer relations and help morale of practice staff
No major organisational restructuring is required

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