Patients who encounter administrative problems in the NHS, such as having to chase test results or not being updated about waiting times for treatment, are less likely to seek care in the future, according to research.
It comes as a survey found one in five people who used the health service in the last year received a letter for an appointment after the date it was supposed to take place.
These types of errors are “frustrating” and can seriously impact patient safety, experts said.
Patient groups also warned the government’s aim to slash NHS waiting lists “will fail” if the health service “cannot communicate effectively with people.”
A report by The King’s Fund, Healthwatch England, and National Voices said the “day-to-day dysfunction in how the NHS communicates” with patients is having a negative impact on people’s experience of the health service and “driving perceptions of an organisation that is wasting money, time and staff.”
The research included a poll of 1,888 adults in England conducted by Ipsos.
Of the 1,622 people who said they had used NHS services in the previous 12 months—either for themselves or someone they care for—more than six in 10 (64 percent) reported issues with communication.
Almost a third (32 percent) said they had to chase results following a test, scan or X-ray, while the same proportion were not kept updated on how long they would have to wait for treatment.
Nearly a quarter (23 percent) said they did not know who to contact while waiting for care, while one in five (20 percent) said they received a letter for an appointment after it was supposed to take place.
Julia Cream, a policy fellow at The King’s Fund and co-author of the report, said: “Today’s results lay bare the day-to-day dysfunction of an NHS that is too often not meeting people’s needs and highlights the deep inequalities people experience when they are trying to access and engage with health services.
“Behind these numbers are stories of people who are worried about their health and struggling to get through the NHS’s front door.
“The government is trying to bring down waiting lists and improve access but these efforts will fail if the NHS cannot communicate effectively with people about when their appointment is or who they need to contact.”
The survey also found that of the people who had experienced at least one admin issue, more than four in 10 (42 percent) said they would be less likely to seek care in the future.
Almost half (47 percent) said it left them thinking the quality of the care the NHS provides is poor.
Louise Ansari, chief executive of Healthwatch England, added: “We’ve heard countless stories of people whose NHS letters arrived after the appointment day or were sent to the wrong address, while some had their referrals lost in the system.
“Administrative errors are frustrating and can have serious implications for patient safety.
“If people miss their tests or scans, they will face a longer wait for their care, putting their health at risk.”
Ansari also warned poor admin “puts the onus on the patient,” who often have to “sort out the problems that NHS systems have created.”
She added, “This places a particularly heavy burden on disabled people and those who have a sensory impairment.”
Jacob Lant, chief executive of National Voices, said: “Admin plays a crucial role in how patients experience health care, yet our research shows many people find themselves in an admin doom loop, trapped by no-reply emails and unable to access the person or answers they need.
“This goes beyond inconvenience, often risking people’s quality of care.”
Jon Sparkes, chief executive at learning disability charity Mencap, said: “For people with a learning disability these barriers to health care form part of the picture where they die on average up to 23 years earlier than the general population with many of their deaths avoidable.
“Delays to accessing care and treatment are a key driver of these shocking inequalities.
“Poor admin isn’t just an inconvenience it actively deepens health inequalities.”
Reacting to the report, Dr. Victoria Tzortziou-Brown, vice-chairwoman of the Royal College of GPs, said admin errors add to the “bureaucratic workload” of family doctors.
“GPs get just as frustrated as our patients when their care is disrupted by admin issues and IT failures,” she added.
“GPs and our team members are often involved in chasing up test results, missing letters, and appointments with our patients, adding to our bureaucratic workload at a time when need for our care is rocketing, and we have a severe shortage of GPs.”
An NHS spokesperson said: “This timely report highlights yet another consequence of the long term capital starvation faced by the NHS, with too many organisations still struggling with outdated tech and data systems to support effective patient administration. We have begun to address this through investment in front line digitisation and the NHS App but we know we need to go much further to make sure patients have the information they need in the right place and in a timely way.
“We have set out some of our plans to make further improvements in the NHS Elective Reform Plan and will work with the government to build an NHS fit for the future through the 10 Year Health Plan.”
