Healthwatch Kingston CEO interviewed by the Royal College of Podiatry

News - 20 June 2025

Healthwatch Kingston CEO, Stephen Bitti, featured in The Podiatrist magazine, offers expert guidance on how health services can take a more compassionate and effective approach to handling complaints.
A yellow graphic with a smiley face, neutral face and sad face. The sad face in encircled by a magnifiying glass. The title reads 'how to handle complaints: know how to effectively manage criticism and stop it from escalating'

In an interview with The Podiatrist, a professional publication for members of the Royal College of Podiatry, Stephen Bitti, Chief Executive of Healthwatch Kingston, urged health services and professionals to take a patient-centred approach to handling complaints. 

“This means letting patients know you will support them in making a complaint and that you are keen to understand what the issues are so you can make improvements.”

In the article, which offers guidance on effectively managing complaints, Katie Harwood, a professional support officer at the Royal College of Podiatry, also outlined the importance of having formal processes in place. 

Harwood’s advice underscored transparency, encouraging practices to direct patients to where they can escalate concerns if they are not satisfied with the outcome of a process. 

Advocating for the patient perspective, Bitti emphasised the importance of empathy, encouraging practitioners to anticipate potential issues by viewing the experience through the patient’s eyes:

‘"Try to put yourself in the mind of the patient and think about what they are likely to complain about. Then look at what systems and processes you can put in place to avoid the complaints from happening."

Bitti’s insights follow a recent report from Healthwatch that has sounded the alarm about the NHS complaints process. The comprehensive research found that very few patients complain, low confidence in the complaints process stops people from acting, and a poor complaints experience is common. 

With public satisfaction with the NHS at record low levels - written complaints in the NHS reached a record high in 2024 - the way the NHS handles, responds to and learns from complaints is vital to improving services.    

Key findings from the Healthwatch report:

  • 34% of those who experienced poor care but didn’t complain believed the NHS would not use their complaint to improve services.
  • 33% felt healthcare organisations wouldn’t respond effectively.
  • 30% thought their concern wouldn’t be seen as serious enough.

Healthwatch urges NHS leaders, the government and regulators to take these findings seriously, highlighting that low trust prevents people from taking any action after experiencing poor care. Recommendations focus on creating a culture of listening to and learning from complaints, by strengthening regulations and asking for more from providers to demonstrate learning. 

In advocating for systems that welcome feedback and ensure complaints are acted upon, Bitti, champions patient voice.

 "You want patients to know that if they do raise a complaint, it will be taken seriously."

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