Most HCAs, APs and other healthcare workers
work hard and provide a service that is of high
quality. Nevertheless, in 2006–2007 the NHS
and local authorities received over 150 000 complaints
concerning health and social care services (Health Care
Commission, 2009). This indicates there is a need to
improve the services provided.
A new approach to dealing with complaints was
introduced in England in April 2009. This gives more
flexibility to respond to mistakes and opportunities to
learn from them. The NHS Constitution (DH, 2009b)
makes it clear to people that they have rights when they
are unhappy about services provided. It states that any
individual has the right to:
n Have any complaint they make about NHS services
dealt with efficiently and have it properly investigated
n Know the outcome of any investigation into their
complaint
n Take their complaint to the Health Service Ombudsman
if they are not satisfied with the way the NHS has dealt
with it
n Make a claim for judicial review if they think they have
been directly affected by an unlawful act or decision of
an NHS body
n Receive compensation where they have been harmed by
negligent treatment.