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This National Virtual Summit focuses on the New PHSO National NHS Complaint Standards which are now being used and embedded into the NHS. Through national updates, practical case studies and in depth expert sessions the conference aims to improve the effectiveness of complaints handling within your service, and ensure that complaints are welcomed and lead to change and improvements in patient care. The conference will also reflect how involving people and their families in complaints and integrating the process with the new Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) to ensure patient safety actions and learning.
“Feedback and complaints provide an opportunity to identify learning and improve the care or service you and your team provide.”
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, March 2024
The NHS must do more to accept accountability and learn from mistakes, particularly when there is serious harm or, worse, loss of life. When concerns are raised after such incidents they are too often met with a defensive attitude. This makes things even worse for a grieving family trying to get answers. It also places unnecessary pressures on staff, creating a barrier to learning and a gateway to making the same mistakes… The cases we see highlight persistent clinical failings and, perhaps even more importantly, persistent failure to respond to patients and families in a compassionate way when they raise complaints.
Rob Behrens, Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman June 2023
It is unrealistic to expect that all clinical errors and omissions can be eliminated. But it should always be possible to respond well, with compassion, and in a way that shows learning and accountability when avoidable harm has happened… Treating complainants with dignity and compassion is an essential part of resolving a complaint, but we found instances where organisations failed to do this.
Broken Trust: making patient safety more than just a promise, Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman June 2023
This conference will enable you to:
Network with colleagues who are working to improve complaints handling
Update your knowledge on the NHS Complaint Standards and how it will change complaints handling
Understand how to manage complaints alongside the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF)
Reflect on the perspective of a complainant who has been through the system to understand what person centred really means in practice
Learn how to bring kindness and compassion into complaints management, investigation, responses and learning
Understand what PHSO and the CQC look for in a good complaint response
Self assess your service against the NHS Complaint Standards
Improve the way complaints and investigations involving serious incidents are handled
Develop your skills in complex complaints handling including disputes, vexatious complainants and complaints across organisations
Understand how you can improve frontline resolution of complaints in real time
Develop your skills in de-escalation and conflict and dispute resolution
Support staff through the complaints process including inquests
Identify key strategies for ensuring change occurs as a result of complaints
Ensure you are up to date with the latest legal issues including ensuring adherence to the duty of candour
Self assess, reflect and expand your skills in complaints handling
Supports CPD professional development and acts as revalidation evidence. This course provides 5 Hrs training for CPD subject to peer group approval for revalidation purposes
