A senior BCS figure in the area of IT in healthcare has proposed
the setting up of a Web site to encourage patients to give their
views on the National Health Service, writes John Kavanagh.
A site would also bring help to people who currently keep any
bad experiences to themselves or only complain to their friends,
which hits the image of the NHS and does not help it to put things
right, says Neville Vincent, chairman of the BCS London Medical
specialist group.
Vincent sees a need for a "non-threatening" way for patients to
record their experiences.
"Satisfaction surveys have been tried in some NHS organisations
but there is no uniformity over the country," he says. "In
addition, anything official may be regarded with suspicion."
A good national Web site, more easily accessed than official
complaint channels, could help overcome such issues.
"Some patients are fully aware of the quality of care that they
should receive and make their views known if they are not
dissatisfied. But the vast majority are probably more reticent,"
Vincent says.
He points out that complaining can drain energy and cause
anxiety at an already stressful time. People will often even
sympathise with staff who are under strain themselves.
"I believe that the moment often passes, and determination to
complain wanes with the passage of time," Vincent says. "Any
dissatisfaction is then expressed in conversations with family,
friends and neighbours, leading to a worsening public impression of
the NHS."
If patients do complain later, perhaps to their general
practitioner, they may focus on one incident rather than on the
quality of care as a whole.
"I suspect that only the most serious issues are taken any
further by the person's GP, and that a wide range of
dissatisfaction at the Patients Charter level is shrugged off,"
Vincent says.
He proposes that the BCS Health Informatics Committee, which
co-ordinates the work of the five specialist groups in the medical
field - and runs an annual conference and exhibition that attracts
5,000 visitors - could promote the idea of a Web site.
The site could be run by an independent agency and perhaps
sponsored by some of the many health charities.
The BCS Health Informatics Committee could consider funding
initial work to get the site going.
Universities with health research units might be interested in
running the site and analysing and publishing the results.
Vincent is currently gathering together views on the idea.
He is at nevillevincent@bcs.org.uk