Complaint Handling in Healthcare — NABH and ISO 15189 Requirements
Effective complaint handling is both an ethical obligation and an accreditation requirement. Patient and user complaints are valuable quality improvement opportunities — if handled correctly.
Effective complaint handling is both an ethical obligation and an accreditation requirement. Patient and user complaints are valuable quality improvement opportunities — if handled correctly.
Both ISO 15189:2022 and NABH standards require a documented, systematic approach to complaint management. This goes beyond simply “addressing” complaints — it requires investigation, root cause analysis, corrective action, and feedback to the complainant.
NABH and ISO 15189 Complaint Requirements
- Documented complaint handling procedure
- Accessible complaint mechanism (physical complaint box, online form, phone)
- Timely acknowledgement of complaints
- Investigation and root cause analysis
- Corrective action to prevent recurrence
- Response to complainant within defined timeframe
- Complaint log maintained and trended
- Complaints discussed at management review
Turning Complaints into Improvements
The most valuable aspect of complaint handling is using complaints to drive systemic improvement. Regularly analyse your complaint log:
- Which departments receive the most complaints?
- Are there repeat themes (delay, communication, staff attitude)?
- What percentage of complaints are closed within the target timeframe?
- What quality improvement initiatives have been driven by complaints?
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