{
  "abstract": "Objectives The aim of this article is to provide an estimate of the proportion of the general public reporting healthcare-related harm in Great Britain, its location, impact, responses post-harm and desired reactions from healthcare providers.Design We used a cross-sectional survey, using quota sampling.Setting This research was conducted in Great Britain.Participants The survey had 10 064 participants (weighted analysis).Results In our survey 9.7% participants reported harm caused by the National Health Service (NHS) in the last 3 years through treatment or care (6.2%) or the lack of access to care (3.5%). The main location where the harm first occurred was hospitals. A total of 37.6% of participants reported a moderate impact and 44.8% a severe impact of harm. The most common response to harm was to share their experience with others (67.1%). Almost 60% sought professional advice and support, with 11.6% contacting the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS). Only 17% submitted a formal complaint, and 2.1% made a claim for financial compensation. People wanted treatment or care to redress the harm (44.4%) and an explanation (34.8%). Two-thirds of those making a complaint felt it was not handled well and approximately half were satisfied with PALS. Experiences and responses differed according to sex and age (eg, women reported more harm). People with long-term illness or disability, those in lower social grades, and people in other disadvantaged groups reported higher rates and more severe impact of harm.Conclusions We found that 9.7% of the British general population reported harm by the NHS, a higher rate than reported in two previous surveys. Our study used a broader and more inclusive definition of harm and was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, making comparison to previous surveys challenging. People responded to harm in different ways, such as sharing experiences with others and seeking professional advice and support. Mostly, people who were harmed wanted help to redress the harm or to gain access to the care needed. Low satisfaction with PALS and complaints services may reflect that these services do not always deliver the required support. There is a need to better understand the patient perspective following harm and for further consideration of what a person-centred approach to resolution and recovery might look like.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Helen Crocker"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Health Services Research & Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "David A Cromwell"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Patient and Public Involvement and Experience Representative, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Shivali Modha"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Alastair McIntosh Gray"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Survey Development, Picker Institute Europe, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Chris Graham"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Health Services Research & Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Lavanya Thana"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Nuffield College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Raymond Fitzpatrick"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Charles Vincent"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Health Services Research & Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Helen Hogan"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Michele Peters"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Patient-reported harm from NHS treatment or care, or the lack of access to care: a cross-sectional survey of general population prevalence, impact and responses",
  "uid": "28d80b87-5c9d-5a36-a648-f49bb88e5abb"
}