Table 6

Factors influencing hedging behaviour

OR estimates for hedging
EffectPoint estimate95% Wald confidence limits
Length of investigation (per month)1.0061.0021.011
Recent or current complaint (versus past complaint)1.3311.1931.485
Outcome of investigation
No fault/exonerated (yes vs no)1.0510.6761.633
Retraining imposed (yes vs no)1.6220.9132.885
Disciplinary action (yes vs no)0.8150.4331.532
Suspended from practise (yes vs no)0.5570.2891.075
Struck off from the register (yes vs no)0.5830.7541.761
The process was not clearly concluded (yes vs no)1.1520.9001.960
Where did the complaint come from
 Trust (yes vs no)1.3280.9001.960
 Medical colleagues (yes vs no)0.6720.5260.860
 Management (yes vs no)0.7970.5811.094
 Media (yes vs no)1.0840.4672.515
 Patient group (yes vs no)1.4950.9062.464
 Other healthcare professional (yes vs no)1.0470.7981.375
 Patient (yes vs no)
  For informal complaint3.1552.1724.584
  For formal complaint2.1801.6702.846
  For SUI1.2120.8261.778
  For GMC referral1.6701.2072.311
 Anonymous (yes vs no)1.3620.9222.012
Type of complaint
Formal complaint versus informal complaint
 Complaint did not come from a patient1.5211.0342239
 Complaint came from a patient1.0510.9031.223
SUI versus informal complaint
 Complaint did not come from a patient2.0971.3113.352
 Complaint came from a patient0.8050.6481.002
GMC referral versus informal complaint
 Complaint did not come from a patient1.7761.1642.709
 Complaint came from a patient0.9400.7571.168
  • GMC, General Medical Council; SUI, serious untoward incident.