Thursday 24 November 2022 03:50 PM Record 225,000 written grievances made about ailing NHS trends now
Patients are complaining about the NHS more than ever, official figures revealed today.
More than 225,000 written grievances were penned about England's ailing health service in 2021/22.
This is up from nearly 210,000 in the year before Covid struck and little more than 160,000 in 2011/12, when records began.
Communications, clinical treatment, staff attitude and behaviour, and patient care were the areas most complained about.
It comes amid huge pressures in the NHS, which is gearing up to face its 'toughest ever winter'.
Backlogs have amassed to all-time highs, with performances in A&E and ambulance response times diving to record lows.
More than 225,000 written complaints were penned about the ailing health service in 2021/22
The looming threat of strikes and a 'tripledemic' of Covid, flu and other seasonal viruses could pile even more misery on the health service this winter.
The total number of NHS complaints made has been creeping up every year, with the exception of 2015/16 and 2020/21.
Last year's fall is partly down to hospitals doing less admin during the pandemic.
GPs and dentists made up the bulk of all written complaints (120k), with the other 105k relating to hospitals and community health services.
Communication was the most complained about area for hospitals, making up 17.4 per cent of all grievances.
For Primary Care, clinical treatment and errors received the most complaints. This made up 15.4 per cent of all GP and Dental complaints.
Communication to patients came out on top for receiving the most heat, making up 17.4 per cent of all hospital grievances
The attitude and behaviour of staff was also commonly criticised, being the focus of 11.4 per cent of GP and Dental complaints
Ambulance performance statistics for October show paramedics took longer to arrive to category one, two and three call outs since records began in 2017. Ambulances took an average of 1 hour, one minute and 19 seconds to respond to category two calls (red bars), such as burns, epilepsy and strokes. This is more than three times as long as the 18 minute target
