Hospital complaints fall

A TOTAL of 84 complaints were made to the health ombudsman about Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust last year - down from 112 the year before.

A report by the Health Service Ombudsman showed the trust, which runs the Royal Oldham Hospital, reviewed 11 of the complaints and upheld eight.

Nationally in 2014-15, the Ombudsman’s office received 21,371 inquiries, an increase of 2,501 on the previous year. Almost 8,900 were about acute trusts, of which 1,652 were investigated and 44 per cent upheld.

Non-medical aspects of patient care are a factor in almost half of all complaints investigated. Staff attitude and behaviour were factors in two out of 10 complaints.