Spin the record

As A former charge nurse, the headline “complaints against NHS at record levels” (your report, 14 September) does not fill me with great pride. Unfortunately, I fully expect senior NHS managers and Scottish politicians to place a positive spin on such a headline.

When the Ombusman criticised the record numbers of complaints to the NHS in England, the NHS Confederation chief executive spun it thus: “It may indicate the organisation has an open and accountable approach to handling complaints that actively encourages patients and their families to raise issues when they feel the right care has not been provided.”

Such blatant spinning of “bad news” is why NHS complaints records on both sides of the Border will continue to be broken in future years.

Neil Sinclair

Clarence Street
Edinburgh