NHS Complaints

 Services 

Family Health Services

Family Health Services

Three broad service types are included within the Family Health Services complaints procedure - medical services, dental services and complaints regarding Family Health administration. Although information is collected on complaints made about Family Health Services , it is less detailed than that collected on hospital and community health service complaints. As Family Health Services  practitioners are independent contractors, it was nationally agreed that information collected would be less detailed. Complaints relating to pharmaceutical and ophthalmic services are only reported where these lead to requests for independent review (prior to April 2005).

Main points for Family Health Services, 2005/06

• A total of 2,984 complaints were received by Family Health Services  in 2006/07, an increase of 7% on the previous year's figure of 2,791.

• 85% of Family Health complaints are regarding the Medical service area.

  FHS : Number of complaints received by Service Area and Health Board : 96/97-06/07
 FHS : Number of complaints received and requests for Independent Review : 96/97-04/05

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Special Boards, National & Support organisations and the Scottish Health Council

The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS)-Donor complaints

• Complaints to the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) have increased from 117 in 2005/06 to 156 in 2006/07. In 2006/07 the most common issue was Blood Donor selection-health and safety, with 35 complaints received¹. 

  SNBTS : Number of complaints received by Type : 96/97-06/07

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NHS 24

Note that NHS 24 expanded the service to all Boards in Scotland during the period April 2003 to November 2004.  At April 2003, NHS 24 was available only in 2 NHS Boards only, and by November 2004 NHS 24 became available across the whole of Scotland.

• 194 formal complaints were received by NHS 24 in 2006/07 compared with 281 in 2005/06 - a decrease of 31%.

• 91% of complaints received by NHS 24 were responded to within 20 working days compared to 50% in 2005/06.

NHS24 : Number of complaints received by Issue : 03/04-06/07

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Scottish Ambulance Service

• There have been a reduction in the number of complaints to the Scottish Ambulance Service, with 349 complaints received in 2006/07 compared to 380 in 2005/06 and 486 in 2004/05.

The State Hospital Board for Scotland

• There has been a 35% increase² in the number of complaints received in the State Hospital Board for Scotland -from 83 in 2005/06 to 112 in 2006/07.

¹ The main reason for the increase in complaints are the changes in and tightening of guidelines in donor selection criteria e.g. more stringent criteria of haemoglobin levels and more rigorous assessment of donors over 65, which result in higher deferral rates of donors.

²The main reason for the higher trend was down to a few patients making multiple complaints in this year amounting to 44 of the number reported. This accounts for most of the increase compared with the previous year.

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Main contact: Santiago Nieva

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