Practice issues top commission gripes

More than 12,500 complaints were made to the National Care
Standards Commission in its first year of operation, its 2002-3
annual report shows.

Of the 12,685 complaints, 28 per cent related to poor care
practice, 23 per cent to inadequate staffing and 10 per cent to
abuse by staff. Twenty-seven per cent were upheld either fully or
partly.

Staff shortages at the commission, which is to be subsumed into the
Commission for Social Care Inspection next year, led to an
underspend of £13.1m.

It had estimated that its day-to-day costs, minus income from fees,
would be £90.1m. The actual figure was £77m.

The report said the main reason for the underspend “was a severe
shortfall in staff, particularly at the beginning of the year”.