Complaints about GPs and dentists in Northamptonshire soar above pre-Covid levels but fewer are being upheld

Complaints about GPs and dentists in Northamptonshire have soared above pre-Covid levels, new figures show — although fewer are being upheld.

Local surgeries faced increasing pressure since the start of the pandemic as higher demand for medical services led to backlogs for appointments. New data from NHS Digital shows 2,161 complaints were made about GPs and dentists in the former NHS Northamptonshire Clinical Commissioning Group area in the year to March — up 64 percent from the 1,314 made in the year to March 2019.

Of last year's complaints, 580 were fully upheld – meaning the medical provider was found to be in the wrong in 27 percent of complaints. This was down from 2018-19 when 31 percent of complaints were upheld. NHS Digital did not collate data on complaints for 2019-20 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Nationally, GPs accounted for the majority of complaints across the two sectors, with 99,500 made in 2021-22 – up 37 percent from 72,400 in 2018-19. Dentists saw a smaller rise, with the number of complaints increasing by two percent from 14,100 to 14,300 over the same period.

The Royal College of GPs, which represents GPs, said its members are “doing their absolute best in exceptionally difficult circumstances”.

RCGP chair, Professor Kamila Hawthorne, responded to a Labour Party announcement on access to GP services on Monday (December 5) saying: “Many GPs are running on empty. This isn’t safe for them or for their patients and when more GPs are leaving the profession than entering it, it does not bode well for the future.

“GPs want our patients to receive timely and appropriate care and we share their frustrations when this isn’t happening. But difficulties accessing our services isn’t the fault of GP teams, it’s a consequence of an under-resourced, underfunded, and understaffed service working under unsustainable pressures.

“We need to see a new recruitment and retention strategy, funding for general practice returned to 11 percent of the total NHS spend, investment in our IT systems and premises, and steps to cut bureaucracy so that GPs can spend more time with patients.”

Northamptonshire CCG was superceeded earlier this year by Integrated Care Northamptonshire working in partnership with care organisations and the voluntary sector to plan and deliver joined up health and care services.

Across England, the most common reason for complaining about a GP surgery last year was ‘communications’, listed on 15 percent of complaints, while for dentists, nearly a quarter of complaints were about ‘clinical treatment’.

Separate figures, also from NHS Digital, show GPs carried out 32 million appointments in October – the highest monthly figure since November 2017, when records are first available.

An NHS England spokesperson said GP staff are working “non-stop” to provide patients with the care they need. They added: “While seven out of 10 patients report a good experience at their practice, the NHS is determined to make it easier to get an appointment, which is why we have recruited over 21,200 additional staff since 2019 and improved practice telephone systems so that people can speak to staff more quickly and easily.”

■ Click the nhs.uk website to find more information on how to make a complaint about any aspect of NHS care.