The research team surveyed over 10,000 members of the public in a series of telephone interviews during 2021 and 2022 to find out how common NHS-related harm is among the general public, how it affects people, and any actions they took in response.
A total of 988 (9.7%) respondents reported they had experienced harm caused by the NHS in the previous three years. Of those, 6.2% cited their treatment or care and 3.5% blamed the harm on a lack of access to NHS services.
Few of the people who reported harm chose to take formal action by lodging a complaint (17%) or pursuing legal action to obtain financial compensation (2.1%).
The findings indicated a number of inequities, including more women reporting harm than men, as well as higher estimated rates of harm among those who were not working, including people with disabilities or long-term health problems.
Older people, men, and those in low socioeconomic groups were less likely to share their experience with others, while older people were also less likely to make a formal complaint.
The rate of reported harm was higher than two previous British surveys in 2001 and 2013 (4.8% and 2.5% respectively). However, the researchers suggest this increase could, at least partially, be down to broadening the definition of harm to include psychological as well as physical harm, and harm through the lack of access to care.
Read the full story on the Nuffield Department of Population Health website.