COMPLAINTS against health service providers in Lancashire are up almost 16 per cent on last year.

The rise is in line with a national 13.4 per cent jump, with unions blaming “pressures and losses of services due to reorganisation”.

But health bosses say it’s down to treating more patients and encouraging more people to make written rather than verbal complaints.

Overall, from April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010, there were a total of 1,554 complaints against Blackburn with Darwen PCT, East Lancashire PCT, Calderstones NHS Trust, Lancashire Care NHS Trust, North West Ambulance NHS Trust and East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust.

In the period April 1, 2008 to March 31,2009, the same providers received 1,342 written complaints.

There was a five per cent increase in complaints from 2007-08 figures to 2008-09 figures.

Tim Ellis, of health workers union Unison, said: “There have been a lot of reorganisation within the local NHS and people don’t like it.

“Not all of the reorganisation means less provision, for instance, people might be complaining that a ward has moved from Blackburn to Burnley, but in other areas, there has been pressure on front line staff.

“Wards can be understaffed and users and staff do complain about this.”

The biggest increase in complaints was seen by North West Ambulance Service (NWAS), which had 553 complaints up from 331 - a 67 per cent rise.

Fliss Swift of NWAS said the Trust experienced “significant pressures” last year.

She said: “High levels of activity compounded by exceptional factors such as the extreme weather conditions, the swine flu pandemic and the Cumbria floods had a subsequent impact on the service.

"Patient transport services have seen an increase in on-the-day bookings, which can lead to extended waits for patients requiring our transport. This is being reviewed as part of contract specifications with commissioners.”

Calderstones NHS Trust saw a 56 per cent rise with 136 complaints up from 87 last year.

Graham Jowett, a director at Calderstones, said: “In previous years we’ve had quite a few verbal complaints, and we have encouraged users to put complaints in writing as we welcome the feedback.

“Also, over one third of the complaints are not about the service, but about the behaviour of fellow users and not getting on with them.”

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust saw a small increase of just over 4 per cent from 529 complaints to 551.

But bosses say that more patients treated mean there was actually a fall in the ratio of complaints.