It
is important that a healthcare professional understand the basics of effectivecommunication skills with patients to ensure a long-term, healthy and
sustainable relationship. There are times when patients are unhappy with the
treatment provided, which eventually leads to complaints with the NHS.
Ultimately, this is not something that you want to deal with as a health
professional because it hampers your career and also leads to a lot of legal
issues. But with effective communication and compassion, you can actually
understand your client’s issues and create a mutually beneficial relationship.
If
you want to avoid the hassles of Clinical Governance & Audits, then
here are some steps that you can adhere to-
·
In the year 2004-2005, there were about
13,000 complaints with the NHS from patients who were unhappy with their
healthcare providers. Instead of the complaint being lodged in the first place,
the healthcare professional should take charge of trying to provide patients
with optimum information needed for navigating their complexities. Adhere to
their doubts and empathise with them in case of doubts.
·
A healthcare professional too is an
individual and there is a chance that a few things could go wrong because of
unintentional issues. In such cases, it is best to go and apologise to the
patient and try to sort things from there. Doing so will prevent such incidents
from recurring in the future. Plus, it also restores the faith of the patient
in the healthcare organisation and thus a mutual solution can be attained.
·
There are also instances when a patient or
their relative could express or have concerns regarding the treatment being
provided or about rehabilitation or intensive care. Though healthcare
professionals deal with multiple patients in a day, it is best to address their
queries promptly. Doing so will prevent the issues of complaints in the first
place.
However,
in spite of addressing these queries, there could be complaints made,
especially if the client is unhappy with the response or physical damage caused
is extensive. If such a formal complaint is made, it should be addressed as
soon as possible. You should also try to get some formal training in this
aspect to understand the underlying principles of clinical governance. Actively
resolving these clinical governance issues would help you to get them sorted
faster - and thus is able to continue with your professional practice without
many issues.
