Healthcare Improvement Scotland Annual Complaints Report summary – 2024-2025: September 2025
Our organisation employs 634 staff, across eight directorates.
At a glance
30 complaints about our services
As an organisation we received 71 enquires about our own or wider Health and Care Services, from internal and external teams and individuals.
The HIS Complaints Handling team have supported signposting of 41 of these to the most appropriate services to achieve best outcome.
30 were handled by HIS as complaints about our work programmes. 27 of these complaints (90%) were related to our Quality Assurance and Regulation functions.
Seven complaints about independent healthcare services
Our Independent Healthcare Regulation team received 78 enquires relating to complaints about Independent Healthcare provision in Scotland.
45 provided information that we have used as intelligence to inform our wider regulatory work and 22 were signposted to the most appropriate services to achieve best outcome.
Seven resulted in complaint investigation and response from our Independent Healthcare Regulation team and were closed within reporting year.
Four complaints remain open.
Executive summary
Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) remains dedicated to welcoming and valuing all forms of feedback, including complaints, and using them to enhance services. We address complaints in a person-centred manner, upholding the rights of everyone involved. Our responsibility includes routinely collecting and learning from the public and health and social care staff. As a National Board, HIS collaborates with a diverse range of stakeholders, including service users, patients, carers, Health and Social Care Partnerships, NHS Boards, Scottish Social Services Council, Care Inspectorate, Scottish Government, third sector organisations, Independent Healthcare providers and professional regulators.
We are committed to ensuring that people are heard by our organisation. Since adopting the Scottish Public Service Ombudsman’s NHS Model Complaints Handling Procedure in 2017 across both our Independent Healthcare Regulation and HIS Complaints work, we have actively listened to our service users and stakeholders, using feedback to improve our services. This approach is integral to Our Strategy for 2023-2028. We aim to resolve issues as close to delivery and as quickly as possible, handling every complaint fairly, without bias, and based on solid evidence. Understanding individual experiences helps us improve and meet our goals.
We continue to strive for better response times to complaints and remain committed to enhancing our efficiency in addressing them. In the past year, we have introduced a revised HIS Complaints Handling Procedure, accessible to both our staff and the public. This initiative was designed to minimise delays while ensuring thorough and prompt independent investigations, managing all forms of feedback, including complaints, using a person-centred, trauma-informed approach. This supports our workforce in resolving issues quickly, thoroughly, and impartially. Our internal review of Independent Healthcare Regulation service provision will benefit over the next year from that review, taking learning into account.
We produce this Complaints Annual Report, as required by the Scottish Government, demonstrating our performance against 9 Key Performance Indicators. This report is a fundamental element of our HIS Complaint Handling Procedure, showcasing our commitment to listening and learning from those who use or are impacted by our services. This year, for the first time, we are also including in the overview section of the report high level data arising from our handling of complaints about Independent Healthcare provision in Scotland.
Mhairi Hastings
Interim Director of Nursing and Systems Improvement
Conclusion
The 2024-25 reporting year has provided valuable insights into the feedback received about Healthcare Improvement Scotland’s work programmes and our complaint handling processes. We received 30 complaints, with a significant majority (90%) relating to our Quality Assurance and Regulation functions, and notably 85% of these concerning Independent Healthcare Regulation. This increase in complaints from previous years reflects both an improved accessibility and transparency of our complaints process and the growing complexity and volume of the independent healthcare sector.
Despite this increase, we remain steadfast in our commitment to welcoming and valuing all feedback and using it as an opportunity for enhancement. The learning captured from these complaints has been crucial, highlighting key themes in Service Delivery Issues, Regulatory Processes, and Communication, leading to specific actions aimed at improving our services and stakeholder engagement. Our focus on improving the clarity of information, consistency of advice, and effectiveness of communication remains central to our improvement efforts.
We have continued to strive for better response times and have seen an improvement in the percentage of complaints closed within guidance timescales, reaching 73% in 2024-25. The introduction of a revised Complaints Handling Procedure (CHP) demonstrates our ongoing commitment to efficient, thorough, and person-centred complaint handling. Looking ahead to 2025-6, a key priority will be the full implementation and continuous refinement of this refreshed CHP, supported by targeted staff training to ensure a consistent and effective approach across the organisation, particularly in our capacity for robust Stage 2 investigations.
While the percentage of complaints upheld has decreased to 6%, the insights gained from all feedback, whether upheld, partially upheld, or not upheld, are invaluable in our drive for continuous improvement. We are dedicated to learning from each interaction, fostering a culture of transparency, and ensuring that the experiences of those who engage with our services inform and enhance the quality of healthcare in Scotland. This report underscores our commitment to listening, learning, and acting upon feedback to better serve our stakeholders and protect the public.