A report compiled by MPs has found that the NHS complaint process is weak and frail. It has been found by the report that in 2009-10 complaints about NHS services increased by 13.4% to 101,077. It is the highest in the last 12 years.

Stephen Dorrell, the committee’s Chairman, said that the MPs were “not convinced that all complaints were properly reviewed". The selection committee who compiled the report said management companies like ombudsman are largely responsible for a 25% rise to £787million in NHS litigation cost.

He further said that the complaint process should make patient involve and they should be entitled to go for an independent review. It has found that though management companies do address to the complaints of the patients, they are seldom satisfied.

It has been unveiled that the majority of the complaints were addressed by the hospital and not by the management companies. Moreover, out of 15,579 which were referred to the ombudsman management company, only 346 were investigated.

The committee is of the opinion that changes should be made in the complaint process so that complaints in a greater number could be addressed. It has blamed the worsening NHS care and increased demand for healthcare for making the complaint process a failure.