The problem for most patients is that filing a complaint, making sure it gets into the system, staying on top of it to make sure it isn't buried, responding to criticisms and building justification for the claim, and then maybe losing in the end because you have an unsympathetic judge / board / whatever is too much of a pain in the ass. This being compounded by boards of reviewers in many places that are friends with the reviewed, so you get an effect like the police, with a wall of white, rather than a wall of blue.
Just switch doctors, tell folks you know not to use that doctor, and tell the doctor why you're leaving. Network effects and market forces can make an impact on this kind of thing if you're diligent.
I'm not sure what kind of insane complaints procedure you've had to deal with, but here you just file it, they sometimes come back for more information/questions, and then that's the end of it. You sometimes get a letter with a result, but there's none of that other stuff you listed ("making sure it gets into the system," "staying on top of it," "making sure it doesn't get buried," etc).
Plus you don't really "lose." You make a complaint, they investigate, and then take action if they feel it is justified. There isn't any "prize" for "winning" so therefore you don't lose.
Ultimately I'm not sure what you're getting at. Sounds like FUD to me, essentially "don't complain because it might be a hassle and the free market will magically solve the issue anyway."
I'm in the UK - it's straightforward to complain, but nothing comes of it, apart from even shittier treatment the next time around, because they know you've complained about them!
My favourite was the one who threw a mop at me for blacking out and bleeding all over her surgery, and then gave me a sticking plaster for my very obviously very infected wound.
Ended up in an ambulance to hospital the next day with a brain-cooking fever and sepsis. She was fired - but didn't lose her license.
Jesus christ man, I've had nothing but good experiences with my GP in Yorkshire, even for the supposedly failing/diminishing mental health services. He listens to everything I have to say and trusts that I can actually think for myself.
I absolutely agree. There are bad doctors out there. The medical community, like every other professional community, will stand together to protect each other from what they feel are unfair attacks, but they---like every other professional community---don't particularly care for the bad doctors either. The situation can be improved, but it won't unless someone complains.
Although I'm assuming you're in a country where you'd have a medical standards board or some kind of complaints procedure, which not all have...