Complaints, as we all know, are taken extremely seriously in the NHS as they are a valuable and cherished source of information from the people who matter most.

So we were intrigued to read the Department of Health’s latest report on complaints it has dealt with over the past few years.

In the first 10 months of 2013, Richmond House received just 15 complaints – a truly astonishing expression of support from the public, given it serves 50 million people and administrates a budget of more than £100bn.

NHS provider trusts, which routinely receive hundreds of complaints a year, will doubtless wonder how the department keeps its public so happy.

And they might wish to offer some advice about getting back to people faster.

Because in a fit of transparency the DH also released figures on response times, having nobly adopted best practice guidelines including the aim of replying to all complaints within 20 working days.

Of cases closed this year, seven out of 11 responses were within 20 days.

That’s better than they managed in 2012, when 22 complaints came in and 12 were responded to on time.

Busier was 2011, which saw 32 complaints. Ten of these came in during January, which, readers will remember, was the month the Health and Social Care Bill was introduced into Parliament.

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