There's been a jump in the number of Queenslanders complaining about the quality of their health care. <\/p>\n
Almost 2700 people lodged complaints with the independent health watchdog, the Health Quality and Complaints Commission (HQCC), in 2011 - up seven per cent on 2010. <\/p>\n
The HQCC's annual snapshot has been released amid claims it is failing patients. <\/p>\n
Independent MP Peter Wellington has referred medical misconduct allegations involving seven doctors in four Queensland hospitals to the Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC). <\/p>\n
He said there is strong evidence to suggest regulatory bodies, including the HQCC, are failing in their duties and allowing doctors accused of gross medical negligence to continue practising. <\/p>\n
In releasing the 2011 snapshot, HQCC chief executive Cheryl Herbert said complaints about the quality of treatment were the most common (61 per cent). <\/p>\n
'Complainants cited concerns about inadequate treatment or care, diagnosis, unexpected outcomes or complications, and wrong or inappropriate treatment,' she said in a statement. <\/p>\n
Complaints about public hospitals far outstripped those for private hospitals (62 per cent to 9.5 per cent). <\/p>\n
Doctors and dentists attracted the most complaints among registered healthcare practitioners. <\/p>\n
Prof Herbert said they provided more complex, and therefore higher risk, services than other providers and patients often viewed them as the people primarily responsible for their healthcare. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Original post: <\/p>\n
Jump in health care complaints in Qld<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There's been a jump in the number of Queenslanders complaining about the quality of their health care. Almost 2700 people lodged complaints with the independent health watchdog, the Health Quality and Complaints Commission (HQCC), in 2011 - up seven per cent on 2010. The HQCC's annual snapshot has been released amid claims it is failing patients Continue reading