“The complaints system across public services should be overhauled” – our response to PHSO showing case summaries online

Which? executive director, Richard Lloyd said: 

“People often don’t complain about public services because they think their feedback will not be heard or acted upon so publishing the results of investigations should give people more confidence that their complaints count.

“The complaints system across public services should be overhauled so people can more easily speak up and feel confident their feedback will trigger action.”

Background:

1. Over 50,000 people have signed up to our campaign to ‘Make complaints count’. We are calling on the Government to pledge to be the champion of patients, parents and all users of public services by committing to:

·         Giving people a role in triggering inspections by regulators through their complaints

·         Giving people a unified public services ombudsman which can swiftly deal with their unresolved complaints

·         Giving people a voice by allowing representative groups to make super-complaints in our public services, as they do in private markets

People can support the campaign at www.which.co.uk/publicservices

2. Previous Which? research has found:

·         34% of people who have experienced a problem with public services in the past year didn’t complain

·         39% didn’t complain because they didn’t think it would be worth the effort

·         32% didn’t complain because they didn’t think anything would be done

·         75% would be more likely to complain if they knew it would result in direct action

·         79% would be more likely to complain if they knew it would make a difference to other people’s experience

Methodology: Populus, on behalf of Which?, conducted an online survey of 4,132 UK adults between 19thand 23rd February 2014. Data were weighted to be representative of all UK adults. Populus is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by their rules. ​​​