South Central Ambulance Service complaints rise by 57%

South Central Ambulance Service said it received nearly double the amount of compliments than complaints last year

The number of complaints to South Central Ambulance Service has risen by 57%, including an alleged incident of a 999 call going to answer phone.

In 2013/14 382 complaints were received but in 2014/15 this rose to 599.

Rachel Coney, chief executive of Health Watch Oxfordshire, said a patient had told the organisation a 999 call went through to an answer phone.

The ambulance service said it "takes complaints and concerns from our patients very seriously".

Ms Coney, of the independent body, said the service was "struggling".

She said there were complaints about a patient with a suspected heart attack, a child with dislocated knee and a child with fracture all waiting for more than an hour for an ambulance.

"A patient in Blackbird Leys told us their 999 call rang through to answer phone, we have no way of verifying that, but that's what we were told.

"The patient went to their GP who called an ambulance."

She said she had written to the ambulance service raising concerns at the end of July.

'Burnt out staff'

Nick Day, from the GMB union, blamed an A&E crisis, the service taking over 111 calls and staff leaving the service were causing problems.

"Staff say they are highly stressed, burnt out. The service is deteriorating, there is a lack of money and investment."

Deirdre Thompson, director of patient care said: "We seek to continuously improve the quality and experience of care for the public we serve.

"Last year we received nearly double the amount of compliments than complaints."

She said the service had seen a 5.3% increase in the number of incident responded to by frontline services in the last year.

The service refused to comment on individual complaints.