THE number of complaints upheld by South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) in Oxfordshire plummeted in 2014, despite an overall rise in grievances.

The service received 48 written complaints last year, a 66 per cent increase from 29 the previous year.

But just eight were deemed to be legitimate by the service, compared to 21 in 2013.

Of the 48 complaints in Oxfordshire last year 24 were about paramedics not attending or taking too long to do so.

A further eight complaints were about staff attitude and the rest were about clinical care, communication, driving standards and patient care.

SCAS did not say which complaints were upheld.

Pensioner Geoffrey Sharp, who submitted a complaint in 2013 after he fractured his spine in a fall at his home, said he was not surprised by the rise.

The 76-year-old widower from Botley received an apology from SCAS in March last year following the incident in August 2013.

He said the paramedics who responded to his call gave him two paracetamol and left him with a neighbour despite him suffering excruciating pain.

He is currently still pursuing compensation through the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

Mr Sharp said: “I would not imagine the rise in complaints is down to people complaining about more frivolous things.”

One of the paramedics involved has now left the service and in a letter to Mr Sharp SCAS said the other had been spoken to about his future practice.

Across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire and Oxfordshire, there were 290 written complaints, up from 210 in 2013. But a footballer who was left waiting for an ambulance for half an hour after he suffered a broken leg earlier this month said he has some sympathy for SCAS.

The New Club centre-half Richard Moffat said the ambulance controller told other players to move him despite his fracture. He received an apology from SCAS after his story was reported in the Oxford Mail and he decided not to file a written complaint.

The 27-year-old said: “I am not surprised the complaints have gone up but they apologised and I left it at that.

“A lot of it is due to cuts, maybe it is not the ambulance service’s fault.”

Deirdre Thompson, director of patient care at SCAS said it takes complaints and concerns very seriously.

She added: “When complaints are received they are fully investigated and further action taken where it is found this is required. Each complaint is dealt with on an individual basis with personal contact between those investigating the complaint and the patient or the patients representative.

“Outcomes of each investigation are personally tailored to the patient to ensure that we fully answer any questions they may have. Those outcomes are shared with staff to ensure that we learn from them. In addition patient stories and complaint outcomes are brought to our public board meetings.

“As a result of the increase in services and the increase on demand on those services we do expect a rise in all patient contacts e.g. complaints, to reflect this increase.”