In this supplement to the main report 'Listening and learning: the Ombudsman's review of complaint handling by the NHS in England in 2010-11' (HC 1522, session 2010-12, ISBN 9780102975086) the Ombudsman publishes more detailed data on complaints about primary care trusts and relevant care trusts. For each trust the data shows how many complaints: were received; resolved through intervention; accepted for investigation; and reported on (with the percentage upheld, partly upheld and not upheld). The data is presented in four categories, according to whether the complaint was about: the trust itself (PCT or care trust); a GP or GP practice; a dentist of dental practice; or opticians, pharmacies or healthcare funded by the trust but provided by a private company.

The Health Ombudsman resolved a total of 15,186 complaints about the NHS in England in 2010-11. This report shows how, at a local level, the NHS is still not dealing adequately with the most straightforward matters. As the case studies illustrate, minor disputes over unanswered telephones or mix-ups over appointments can end up with the Ombudsman because of knee-jerk responses by NHS staff and poor complaint handling. While these matters may seem insignificant alongside complex clinical judgments and treatment, they contribute to a patient's overall experience of NHS care. The escalation of such small, everyday incidents represents a hidden cost, adding to the burden on clinical practitioners and taking up time for health service managers, while causing added difficulty for people struggling with illness or caring responsibilities. Two particular themes stand out this year. Poor communication - one of the most common reasons for complaints in the last year - can have a serious, direct impact on patients' care and can unnecessarily exclude their families from a full awareness of the patient's condition or prognosis. Secondly, in a small but increasing number of cases, a failure to resolve disagreements between patients and their GP has led to their removal from the GP's patient list - often without the required warning or the opportunity for both sides to talk about what happened. As GPs prepare to take on greater responsibility for commissioning patient services, this report provides an early warning that some are failing to handle even the most basic complaints appropriately.

Issues in Law and Medicine / 2011 Edition is a ScholarlyEditions™ eBook that delivers timely, authoritative, and comprehensive information about Law and Medicine. The editors have built Issues in Law and Medicine: 2011 Edition on the vast information databases of ScholarlyNews.™ You can expect the information about Law and Medicine in this eBook to be deeper than what you can access anywhere else, as well as consistently reliable, authoritative, informed, and relevant. The content of Issues in Law and Medicine: 2011 Edition has been produced by the world’s leading scientists, engineers, analysts, research institutions, and companies. All of the content is from peer-reviewed sources, and all of it is written, assembled, and edited by the editors at ScholarlyEditions™ and available exclusively from us. You now have a source you can cite with authority, confidence, and credibility. More information is available at http://www.ScholarlyEditions.com/.

The October 2010 Spending Review has imposed tough settlements on both health and social care, and sets a highly challenging context for the delivery their services over the next four years. In both cases efficiency gains will need to be made on an unprecedented scale if care levels are to be maintained and the quality of services improved. The Committee does not agree with the Government's premise that the Spending Review settlement and the two year pay freeze will provide councils with the necessary resources to sustain current eligibility levels for social care. Councils will need to sustain further efficiency savings of up to 3.5% per annum to avoid reducing their levels of care. In this context, the Government is placing understandable emphasis on the 'extra' funding for social care, through the Personal Social Services grant and the £1bn through the NHS. However there is concern that the increases in the PSS grant will not be reflected in changes in actual spending on social care. It is also vital that the savings required by the health settlement are made by efficiency gains rather than making cuts, particularly considering the uncertain landscape of the NHS reorganisation following the White paper. Improving the interaction between health and social care will be critical if the necessary cost savings on both sides are to be realised. It is not enough for the government to exhort change in this area: there must be a formal policy infrastructure that recognises the importance of achieving a better overall interface between the two sectors

Drugs: Advances in Research and Application: 2011 Edition is a ScholarlyEditions™ eBook that delivers timely, authoritative, and comprehensive information about Trials. The editors have built Drugs: Advances in Research and Application: 2011 Edition on the vast information databases of ScholarlyNews.™ You can expect the information about Trials in this eBook to be deeper than what you can access anywhere else, as well as consistently reliable, authoritative, informed, and relevant. The content of Drugs: Advances in Research and Application: 2011 Edition has been produced by the world’s leading scientists, engineers, analysts, research institutions, and companies. All of the content is from peer-reviewed sources, and all of it is written, assembled, and edited by the editors at ScholarlyEditions™ and available exclusively from us. You now have a source you can cite with authority, confidence, and credibility. More information is available at http://www.ScholarlyEditions.com/.