Simon Jones: Masking the problem

Insight into patient attitudes when things in practice don’t go to plan should be essential reading to all members of staff, so when the Optical Consumer Complaints Service (OCCS) annual report is published, it’s well worth seeking out. The top line statistic from this year’s report was a 12% fall in the number of complaints referred to the OCCS – 1,411 in total.

Like most things in our professional lives, the prism of the pandemic has to be considered. The early stages of the pandemic in March and April 2020, with emergency-only care and many closed practices, could be seen as a possible reason for that decline. Fewer patients mean fewer complaints. But the OCCS is quick to highlight that within the context of overall sector activity, the number of complaints actually indicates an increase in the volume of referrals received.