Understanding patient experiences of the Royal Devon complaints process
We have published an independent insight report exploring how people experienced making a complaint to Royal Devon.
The work followed a request from the Trust’s complaints team to help understand patients’ experiences and identify opportunities for improvement. People contributed through an online survey or guided telephone interviews.
Their feedback highlights the difference that clear communication, regular updates and meaningful conversations can make when someone is seeking answers about their care.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FULL REPORT
Understanding the findings
The report draws on a small, self-selecting group of 20 participants. Their experiences provide valuable insight, but the findings are not representative of everyone who has used Royal Devon’s complaints service.
Participation was voluntary, and people with particularly strong experiences may have been more likely to respond. Not everyone answered every question.
The report considers people’s experiences of the complaints process. It does not assess individual members of staff or investigate the clinical care involved in their complaints.
What people told us
Finding out how to complain was generally straightforward - Most participants found information about making a complaint relatively easy to access. However, experiences of submitting concerns varied, with some finding this much harder than others.
Clear communication made a positive difference - Some participants described timely responses, helpful email or telephone updates, and reassurance that their complaint had been understood. These experiences show the value of keeping people informed and involved.
Others felt poorly informed or experienced long waits - Many participants reported limited contact during their investigation and uncertainty about when they would receive a response. Some described having to chase updates or feeling insufficiently involved in the process.
Responses did not always provide the reassurance people needed - Although some participants praised clear or efficient responses, most of those who answered questions about their findings and outcome expressed dissatisfaction. Some felt their concerns had not been taken seriously or wanted more opportunity to discuss the response.
People wanted to see what had changed - Four participants believed the Trust had learned from their complaint. Others were unsure or did not feel that learning had taken place, highlighting the importance of explaining how feedback leads to improvements.
Our recommendations
The report makes six recommendations to support improvements:
- Strengthen acknowledgement and early contact.
- Explain the scope of the complaint, the process and the point of contact early on.
- Keep people consistently informed throughout investigations.
- Ensure people receive a clear written record of findings and outcomes.
- Consider follow-up conversations to discuss findings and any unresolved concerns.
- Make learning and changes resulting from complaints more visible.
These recommendations focus on communication, involvement, transparency and learning, recognising the small but detailed sample.
How Royal Devon has responded
Royal Devon welcomed the independent insight and thanked everyone who shared their experiences. In its response, the Trust said:
“the experiences described are important and provide valuable insight into how the process can feel from the perspective of patients and families.”
The Trust acknowledged the significant pressures facing NHS services and the need to balance thorough investigations with the clinical responsibilities of staff. It also recognised that these pressures should not leave people waiting for answers feeling uninformed.
Royal Devon said the findings have helped inform and focus its complaints improvement work for 2026/27. This includes an in-depth review of the complaints pathway, with opportunities to simplify processes, reduce avoidable administrative delays and make better use of technology.
The Trust also described a focus on how the process feels for the person making the complaint, including communication, opportunities for meaningful conversation, accessible responses and evidence of learning.
Alongside this work, Royal Devon reported that 382 complaints were resolved through its Early Resolution process within 14 days during 2025/26, representing 27% of complaints closed that year. This was part of the Trust’s existing improvement work.
Its response recognised that speed alone is not enough:
“A good complaints process must also listen, communicate openly, provide meaningful answers and help rebuild trust when someone's experience of our care has fallen short.”
Next steps
Royal Devon has committed to using the recommendations alongside its wider complaints data, patient and family feedback, and ongoing improvement programme. It also said it will continue working with Healthwatch and people with direct experience of its complaints process to develop and evaluate improvements.
We welcome this constructive response and thank everyone who contributed. Sharing these experiences publicly supports our independent role in helping services understand what matters to people and where improvements are needed.
Downloads
Read the full findings, recommendations and Royal Devon’s response in Patient experience of the complaints process at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
