Western Trust receives three times as many compliments as complaints

Three times as many positive notices were submitted to the local health service, compared with negative ones.

The DoH has published new statistics on complaint issues and compliments received by the six Health and Social Care (HSC) Trusts during 2021/22.

They show that the Western Trust registered a considerable 2,657 compliments over the twelve months.

During the same period the local health authority received 852 complaints.

The report notes: “During 2021/22, HSC Trusts received 18,798 compliments. Almost a quarter (4,537, 24.1%) were received by the Southern HSC Trust, 4,451 (23.7%) by the Belfast HSC Trust, 3,557 (18.9%) by the Northern HSC Trust, 3,221 (17.1%) by the South Eastern HSC Trust, 2,657 (14.1%) by the Western HSC Trust and 375 (2.0%) by Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS).”

But the Western Trust also posted the second lowest rate of complaints in the north.

“During 2021/22, HSC Trusts received 4,011 complaints relating to 6,210 complaint issues.

“Of the 6,210 complaint issues, more than a quarter (1,640, 26.4%) were received by the Belfast HSC Trust, 1,359 (21.9%) by the South Eastern HSC Trust, 1,317 (21.2%) by the Southern HSC Trust, 852 (13.7%) by the Western HSC Trust, 777 (12.5%) by the Northern HSC Trust and 265 (4.3%) by the NIAS,” the report states.

Perceived issues with diagnoses and treatment were the biggest generator of complaints locally.

“The highest number (366, 43.0%) of complaint issues received by the Western HSC Trust related to ‘Diagnosis/Operation/Treatment’.

“The next largest category was ‘Information & Communication’ (174, 20.4%),” the report reveals.

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