Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 2009 - Health and ...

COMPLAINTS RESOLUTION
Table 3: HDC survey results
Complainants Providers DHBs
Staff were polite to deal with 90% 94% 100%
Staff were professional 87% 95% 89%
Communications were promptly responded to 78% 83% 89%
Complaints process was clearly explained 80% 77% 75%
HDC role was clearly explained 77% 75% 75%
Information was easy to understand 85% 95% 100%
Letters were clearly laid out 88% 96% 100%
Letters were easy to understand 88% 95% 100%
Complaint was taken seriously 67% 97% 100%
Kept informed of progress 69% 76% 89%
Complaint dealt with fairly 62% 85% 87%
Complaint dealt with impartially 64% 86% 87%
Clear reasons were given for decision 64% 92% 100%
Understood reasons for decision 57% 92% 89%
Satisfied with management of complaint 54% 84% 100%
“I was annoyed that an obviously spurious complaint from a clearly psychotic patient triggered
a further letter to notify the Medical Council.”
“This was very much a new experience for me and I was quite amazed at the thorough and
professional approach to my complaint when you consider it was a very minor issue compared
to the high profile ones seen on TV and in the newspaper.”
“The HDC acted at all times as an advocate for the subject [of] the complaint and made no
attempt to act in the interests of the complainant. The HDC needs to be impartial not biased
and to consider all material presented to it.”
“We are appreciative that there is an organisation, which is independent from providers, that
is able to do an investigation that is impartial. This is beneficial for providers as there is then an
opinion as to whether the health service was acceptable and not a breach. Likewise if we are
wrong HDC can endorse our improvement plans and suggest others we may not have thought
of.”
“Sometimes the complaint appraisal seems weighted in favour of the complaint. Sometimes
they are overly pedantic about what, from a DHB perspective, are relatively minor issues.
Sometimes DHB resource limitations do not seem to be appreciated and there are unrealistic
expectations about what could be provided.”
“Going to HDC really made a difference and not only benefited us, but others who had
encountered similar problems to us as the agency seemed to change their strategy after the
complaint — thank you!”
8 E.17