New research by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) reveals millions of people across England have had concerns about care and regret not speaking out.

Almost 7 million people, who are patients or family carers, have expressed concerns about care given in the last five years but have never complained. The majority (58 per cent) regret staying silent. The most common reason for not raising concerns was the belief that nothing would change as a result (37 per cent).

Some feared being seen as a 'trouble maker'

Some 33 per cent did not speak out because they did not want to be seen as a ‘troublemaker’. Some 33 per cent did not know who to raise their complaint with and 28 per cent worried about not being taken seriously. A fifth (20 per cent) did not know how to raise a complaint.

In response to the research, Care minister Caroline Dinenage said: “I encourage anyone who has concerns over their care, or the care of loved ones, to share their experiences with the Care Quality Commission - so they can continue their vital work of protecting patients and improving the excellent care we see across the health service.”

'Declare You Care'

The CQC is now calling for people to speak up about their experiences of care, following its poll (conducted from November to December last year). The care regulator has launched its ‘Declare Your Care’ campaign to encourage people to share their experiences of care with the care regulator.

The CQC advises four steps to report poor care:

1. Speak to staff to resolve it informally

2. If issues persist, ask your care provider to see the complaints procedure. This will tell you what to do.

3. If you are not happy about how they respond to your complaint, you can contact:

a. Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (for private or adult social care services)

b. Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (for NHS services)

4. Share your experience (on behalf of yourself or someone else) with CQC at cqc.org.uk/share-your-experience

Leymar Healthcare provide Homecare Services in Ashfield and 24 Hour Live in Care in the UK to vulnerable adults in their community. Please contact our office on 01623 360 193 or email us at info@leymarltd.co.uk.

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