From Complaints to Court Dates: A Comparative Retrospective Analysis of
Complaints, Litigation, and Significant Untoward Events In a Major
Maternity Hospital
Abstract
Objective To investigate the alignment between complaints,
litigation cases, and significant untoward incidents (SUIs) at the
Coombe Hospital, Dublin, following the release of Ireland’s national
maternity strategy in 2016. Design A retrospective cohort study
comparing complaints, litigation cases, and SUIs using statistical
analysis. Setting Coombe Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Sample The study analysed 1037 written complaints, 104 formal
litigation cases, and 124 SUI reports from the hospital between 2016 and
2023. Methods Data were collected from the Quality Patient
Safety Department at the Coombe Hospital, anonymized, and categorized
using a hybrid system based on the Health Service Executive charter and
Coombe Hospital’s complaint system. Complaints with multiple issues were
assigned multiple codes. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS
software, and data visualization was completed with R’s ggplot2 library.
A Chi-squared test (χ 2) was used to compare the data
categories. Main Outcome Measures Identification of statistical
relationships between complaints, litigation cases, and SUIs.
Results There were significant differences between complaints
and litigation cases (χ 2 = 221.4, p <
0.001) and between complaints and SUIs (χ 2 = 263.1, p
< 0.001). However, there was no significant difference between
litigation cases and SUIs (χ 2 = 4.0, p = 0.14),
suggesting that similar issues trigger both legal action and
classification as SUIs. Conclusions Investment in the SUI
system is crucial for fostering a culture of continuous learning in
maternity care. Insights from SUIs can help identify areas for
improvement and potentially reduce litigation by enhancing patient
safety.