New research reveals need for clearer, more accessible complaints systems for healthcare professional regulators

Research published today by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) reveals that people trying to make complaints about healthcare to a professional regulator can experience many barriers. Barriers to complaints uncovers the experiences of people who want to complain about their care but struggle to do so because of poor communication, limited support and other significant barriers.

Whilst some individuals had good experiences, many complainants who took part in the research felt discouraged and disappointed by the process, highlighting the urgent need for improvements in accessibility, transparency, communication and public awareness.

The research findings indicate that:

• Complaints are primarily motivated by a desire to protect future patients and service users.
• Complaining to a regulator is often seen as a last resort, pursued only after other avenues have been exhausted.
• The complaints process is perceived as difficult and discouraging, with some feeling it reflects a lack of interest from regulators.
• Communication from regulators can be poor, leaving complainants uncertain about what action, if any, is being taken.
• Healthcare professionals face social barriers to complaining, such as workplace culture and fear of repercussions. Service users face individual barriers, including lack of awareness of regulators and uncertainty about whether their concern is serious enough.
• Many complainants report feeling disappointed by the complaints process, particularly due to lack of follow-up or information.

The report makes several recommendations for improvement including:

• Raising awareness of regulators’ roles and independence.
• Setting expectations for what kinds of complaints can be investigated and explaining the process.
• Improved communication with complainants.
• Better accessibility of complaints processes and more support for those making a complaint.
• Signposting people to the right organisation to raise a complaint.
• Working with employers to shift the narrative and reframe complaints as a mechanism for improving patient safety rather than blame.

We will use these findings to help inform the changes we are making to the PSA’s Standards for the regulators and Accredited Registers we oversee, due to be published early next year. We will also use them to inform our broader work to improve regulation and registration.

Melanie Venables, Director of Policy and Communications at the PSA said:

“This research addresses a key evidence gap and confirms that more needs to be done to support members of the public and professionals to report concerns to the regulators. Without this, we may be missing opportunities for learning and for the prevention of harm. We will use what we’ve heard through this research to develop our new Standards for the regulators and Accredited Registers we
oversee.”

Read the full report here.

ENDS

Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care Contact: media@professionalstandards.org.uk