Older patients families struggle to complain about poor care

A new survey has revealed that 51 per cent of family members say it is difficult to complain about the hospital care or treatment of an older relative.

Published by Gransnet and the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, the survey revealed that of those who were concerned about the treatment of their older relative, only 58 per cent complained, while 67 per cent of those who complained do not believe it makes a difference.

Worryingly, 35 per cent of respondents said there were occasions where they were concerned about the care or treatment of their older relative in hospital, with 31 per cent claiming that the hospital staff did not have an adequate understanding of their older relative’s condition or care needs.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman sees far fewer complaints from older people than would be expected given older people’s high usage of NHS services, with it often natural for elderly, vulnerable patients to rely on relatives to raise concerns when things go wrong in hospital.

The survey also found that 40 per cent of the 600 Gransnet members interviewed did not feel they were kept informed about their older relative’s condition in hospital and were not given enough opportunities to discuss their care and treatment. Poor communication is a factor in around one third of all complaints the Ombudsman service investigates about the NHS in England.

Rob Behrens, Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, said: “The NHS is a life-line for many vulnerable older people but when things go wrong, too many are suffering in silence. I want people to be confident to complain, know their rights, and speak up when things go wrong so that the NHS can learn from mistakes and improve services for others. NHS staff should make patients and their loved ones aware of how to complain, point them to available support, and make it absolutely clear that their future care will not be compromised.”