MORE than 300 formal complaints were made to Hertfordshire County Council last year about adult care services, according to a new report.

Issues ranged from workers’ conduct, charges or costs, dissatisfaction with a care plan or assessment or services by care providers or breach of confidentiality.

But according to the report – which will be reported to the County Council’s Adult Care and Health Cabinet Panel on Monday (September 3) – just 46 complaints were upheld. A further 55 were partially upheld.

Some complaints – including care availability on discharge from hospital, services such as home care and respite and charges – were dealt with jointly with NHS partner organisations.

Most of the 345 formal complaints related to the area of ‘older people and physical disability’.

However the number of complaints received by adult care services has fallen by 18 per cent since last year, when there were 422 complaints.

Meanwhile the report also shows the department has received 231 compliments, the vast majority of which praise individual workers and services.

Also highlighted in the report were details of the 25 complaints made about services to the Local Government Ombudsman.

Of those, the Ombudsman decided not to investigate 12. And of the 11 that were progressed three had no fault, two had some fault and six were still awaiting an outcome.