'Dissatisfaction' and 'concern' from patients over Hospital Trust complaints handling

A report published this week by independent organisation Healthwatch Devon has highlighted “dissatisfaction” and “concern” from patients and their families over how the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust handles complaints.

The study found overall that while “most” individuals surveyed were able to submit a complaint without difficulty, they also felt “poorly informed” and "disappointed" with both the timeliness and quality of the trust’s responses.

A total of 20 self-selected individuals participated in the study, and Healthwatch acknowledges that the results therefore represent a “very small sample of overall complaints activity”.

It is understood that just four respondents believed the trust had learnt from their complaints, and almost 80 per cent felt their concerns were not taken seriously.

Just 36 per cent of those surveyed said they were “kept informed of progress” throughout the trusts’ investigation of their complaint. A further two complainants reportedly only received updates after chasing the service up, and a third person claimed they waited “nearly 6 months” for a response.

Once an outcome was received, only 4 out of the 17 who responded to this question answered that they felt “positive” about the results.

The majority of respondents expressed “dissatisfaction”, using descriptors such as “underwhelming”, “disgusting”, and “dangerous”.

It is understood many felt “dismissed” or not listened to, and called on the Trust, through this report, for “quicker response [times], clearer and more personal communication, honesty… and a more patient-centred approach”.

The trust commissioned the report into its complaints procedures in 2025, following a similar study by Healthwatch Plymouth in 2023.

Healthwatch works with local communities across Devon, Plymouth, and Torbay to give residents a stronger voice to influence how health and social care services are provided for them.

The organisation is jointly commissioned by Devon County Council, Plymouth City Council, and Torbay Council.

Between 2025 and 2026, it is understood that the trust received 1,561 formal complaints.

Of these complaints, 1,409 were closed, with 27 per cent closed within 14 days. According to Healthwatch data, 96 per cent of all complaints to the Trust during this time were closed within six months.

Healthwatch put these findings to the trust, along with its own recommendations.

The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS organisations in the South West. It provides services for more than 615,000 people across North, East, and Mid Devon.

A spokesperson for the trust said: “The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust would like to thank everyone who took the time to share their experiences of the complaints process.

“We recognise that giving feedback about a complaint, particularly where an individual has had a difficult experience, requires further time and effort, and we are grateful to those who contributed.

“Seeking meaningful feedback specifically about the complaints process can be challenging, and we therefore welcome the independent insight provided through this Healthwatch work.

“We recognise that the findings are based on a small, self-selecting group of 20 respondents and are not representative of the experience of everyone who has used our complaints service.

“Nevertheless, the experiences described are important and provide valuable insight into how the process can feel from the perspective of patients and families.”

The Trust said that the findings of the Healthwatch report have helped it to “inform and focus” its complaints improvement work for the next year.

This includes an “in-depth” review of its complaints pathway and “deliberately looking beyond process and performance measures to consider how the complaints journey feels for the person making the complaint”.

“We have already made progress in developing alternative approaches to formal investigation where these are appropriate,” added the Trust spokesperson.

“We recognise, however, that improving timeliness alone is not enough. A good complaints process must also listen, communicate openly, provide meaningful answers and help rebuild trust when someone's experience of our care has fallen short.

“We welcome the recommendations from Healthwatch and will use them alongside our wider complaints data, feedback from patients and families, and our ongoing improvement programme to help shape the next stage of this work.”