Media Watch: NHS complaints

First they complained about the service, now they are complaining about the complaints system.

More than two-thirds of participants in a Patients Association poll believe the NHS complaints procedure is "pointless", newspapers reported this week.

The Times revealed that the Department of Health has promised to overhaul the system to help patients who avoid complaining because "they feel too intimidated or worry about damaging their relationship with their GP or social worker".

Booze hounds

The Daily Mail reported that midwives are in such short supply that they are being forced to "handle three births at once". No wonder then that "a third of mums-to-be are secret boozers", according to The Daily Mirror.

More intrigue is found at the party conferences.

This week it is Labour's turn in the spotlight and, according to The Observer, "thousands of eyes" will be on health secretary Alan Johnson, who along with foreign secretary David Miliband is once again in the frame as a future party leader.

But will the thousands of eyes recognise what they see? Research by The Sunday Telegraph suggests not.

Only four out of 40 people who were shown a photograph of the health secretary by the newspaper were able to name him. Mr Johnson can be comforted by the fact that he fared better than innovation, universities and skills secretary John Denham, who was identified correctly by none.

One man did think he was The Who's lead singer Roger Daltrey, though.