title: A complaints management system: strengths and weaknesses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the complaints management process in a base hospital and to outline its guiding principles.
  
  
  METHODS
  A review and analysis of the complaints lodged during 1996 with the Complaints Management System of the hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 146 complaints lodged after 132,400 patient contacts. Overall resolution time was 14 days, but 24 appeals were lodged against the initial opinion and were all subsequently resolved satisfactorily.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The complaints process should be user friendly, result in a quick response and be seen as a quality rather than a disciplinary tool.
authors.affiliation: Southern Health, Invercargill.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mulholland
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Dawson
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006748:Hospital Departments / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015285:Hospital-Patient Relations; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration