In healthcare complaints, understanding the Heads of Complaint is crucial. Often, the complainant’s perception of events—how they felt treated, what they thought was communicated, or how they interpreted an outcome—differs from the organisation’s perspective. Staff perceptions can also vary, influenced by human factors and their interpretation of events.
At the same time, the reality of a complaint is grounded in documented facts: clinical records, staff accounts, and policies followed.
Both perception and reality matter—ignoring either can lead to unresolved issues or escalation.
HINT:
- Maintain complete, contemporaneous clinical records.
- Obtain signed and dated written statements from all staff involved.
TIP:
- Clarify the issues with all parties early.
- Ask specific questions of staff where statements do not clearly address the points of complaint (ISCAS Code Standard 21).
- Follow up to ensure the investigation fully addresses the complaint.
Handling complaints effectively requires balancing empathy with evidence, ensuring both patient experience and factual accuracy are considered.