Formal complaints against general practitioners: a study of 1000 cases

This study was carried out to determine the reasons given by patients in making formal complaints against general practitioners. A sample of 1000 complaints made by UK patients about general practitioner principals over the period 1982-89 was randomly selected from the computer database of the Medical Protection Society and retrospectively analysed. Thirteen categories of criticism were identified. The most common circumstance in which patients complained was when they believed there had been failure to visit. In nearly one third of cases the complaints were associated with the death of a patient. In a quarter of the letters it was clear that the patient's motive for complaining was concern to protect other patients. General practitioners should bear in mind that in declining to visit they could be inviting criticism, particularly if the patient dies.