- guardian.co.uk, Friday June 24 2005 02.31 BST
Unresolved complaints from NHS patients have almost trebled over the past 10 months, the health inspectorate said yesterday.
The Healthcare Commission blames trusts for passing on grievances which they have failed to sort out themselves.
In the first 10 months the commission received 7,000 grievances, compared with 2,400 over a similar period when the NHS was dealing with its own complaints appeals. Part of the rise might have been due to patients being more confident that appealing to an independent body would be worthwhile.
Marcia Fry, the commission's head of operational development, said: "The NHS has got to get better at handling complaints, which are an important tool for improving services."
