title: One-year audit of complaints made against a University Hospital Surgical Department.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is relatively little in the medical literature relating to complaints about the healthcare process. The aim of this study was to report the frequency and content of patient complaints against a University Hospital Surgical Department. In particular, the study aimed to relate the number of complaints to the number of health-care episodes and to determine the frequency of patient safety incidents and subsequent medico-legal action.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective interrogation of a prospectively maintained Complaints Department database at a University Hospital for the calendar year 2009.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Complaints relating to 360 aspects of the health-care journey in 113 patients were made. This translated into one complaint per 400 health-care episodes. Concerns about clinical care were cited in 31%, delays in the health-care process in 30%, communication issues in 19%, the institutional environment in 8% and poor discharge planning in 6%. Overall, 16 complaints (4%) were raised as patient safety incidents. Eighty-three per cent of complaints were addressed by a telephone conversation or a single letter response, 13% by a face-to-face meeting. Two per cent resulted in subsequent medico-legal action.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although perceived in a negative way by health-care professionals, only 1 in 400 health-care episodes resulted in a complaint. Only a small number related to patient safety incidents or resulted in medico-legal instructions. Attention should focus on developing effective strategies to improve patient satisfaction with all aspects of the patient journey.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, UK.
authors.forename: Chris D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Mann
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Howes
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buchanan
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Bowrey
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008485:Medical Audit; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D061214:Patient Safety / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013503:Surgery Department, Hospital; D006113:United Kingdom