Handling vexatious complaints can be challenging for medical doctors, as they must balance addressing legitimate concerns with managing unreasonable or harassing behaviour. The most worrying thing here is often the lack of consideration that is shown for those who have been subject to vexatious complaints. Reviewing guidances and recommendations from national organisations, here are some general steps a medical doctor can take:
- Remain Professional and Courteous: Regardless of the nature of the complaint, maintain a professional and respectful demeanor in all interactions with the patient.
- Listen Actively: Listen carefully to the patient’s concerns and try to understand the underlying issues motivating their complaint.
- Address Legitimate Concerns: If the complaint contains legitimate grievances, take appropriate steps to address them promptly and effectively. This might involve apologizing for any mistakes, offering solutions, or making changes to prevent similar issues in the future.
- Document Everything: Keep detailed records of all interactions with the patient, including complaints, communications, and any actions taken in response.
- Set Boundaries: If the complaint is vexatious or harassing in nature, clearly communicate boundaries to the patient regarding acceptable behavior. Politely but firmly explain that harassment or unreasonable demands will not be tolerated.
- Involve National Organizations: Depending on the country, there may be national organizations or regulatory bodies that can provide guidance or assistance in handling vexatious complaints. These organizations often have codes of conduct or protocols for managing complaints. Doctors can reach out to them for support and advice.
This all reads so formally, but it does nothing to address the stresses and concerns of doctors who will experience significant emotional and physical distress. The worry of losing your career/job, the ability to look after your family, the feelings of shame and embarrassment have led to, at best, severe mental fatigue in many and unfortunate suicide for some. The tragic part of this is that those doing the investigating often take their time, ignore the human element of this and often have an adversarial approach to it. At the end of the investigation, when the complaints are found to be totally vexatious there is no apology, nor is their an onus on the complainant to withdraw their accusations. You just get a nod to get back to work.
So to the above, i’d add
- Familiarise themselves with the specific procedures and resources available through these organisations to effectively manage vexatious complaints while upholding professional standards and patient care.
- Lean on your friends and family, talk to them if you can and don’t carry the burden alone
- Seek professional support early – know that you are not alone in this. There are hundreds of complaints made annually many of which are totally vexatious and designed to just cause you distress. It is an exploitation of the system by those seeking to tie you up in psychological knots.