Call centre to handle public-health queries

Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton has announced plans to employ the services of a call centre dedicated to handling complaints and queries from the public about the public-health sector.

In making the disclosure at a news briefing at the Noel Holmes Hospital in Lucea, Hanover, on July 20, Dr Tufton said the call centre, which aims to improve the responsiveness to patients’ needs, forms part of the expansion of the Compassionate Care Programme.

He noted that the facility will provide a more efficient avenue for complaints, which will be logged promptly, allowing for greater accountability.

“When the calls are made, it goes to a central point, is picked up immediately by the people behind the phone. They log the complaints and the details, and then our team will [have] the responsibility to respond,” he pointed out.

Dr Tufton said that over time, the call centre will provide the ministry with a database of complaints and details about who made them, where they came from, and how to get in touch with these individuals directly.

He further shared that the procurement process for the initiative is advanced and once concluded, the call centre is expected to be in place this year.

Meanwhile, the health minister said that the Compassionate Care Programme is being ramped up to enhance the experience of patients accessing care at public-health facilities.

Under the programme, front-line workers are being trained in customer service and relations, ensuring that patients are treated with empathy and respect.

Dr Tufton said that the ministry has been investing in new, comfortable chairs for waiting areas to improve the overall environment for patients.

“We’re putting in place the customer service representative as a standard procedure in the A&Es (accident and emergency departments) so that they can talk to the people who want to be spoken to. We are [also] improving the conditions of waiting,” Dr Tufton added.