NHS complaints ‘take half a year’

People who complain about the NHS can expect to wait 171 working days before their case is reviewed, according to the National Audit Office.

The body said on Friday that the NHS complaints system is not nearly as responsive and accessible as it should be.

A spokesman from the organisation said: “There is a lack of learning from complaints, and providers are not making clear to users that services are being improved as result.”

Recent surveys found around one in seven people are dissatisfied with their experiences of the NHS, yet only five per cent of people registered a complaint.

There is a national advocacy service for complaints but few are aware of it and nearly two thirds of complainants are not offered help navigating the system.

The Department of Health is aiming to implement a single complaints system across health and social care by next year.

The Healthcare Commission has admitted there are problems with the system and that patients should feel able to trust the procedures in place.