COMPLAINTS against South Downs Health NHS Trust rose by more than 50 per cent in the last three months.

But the number of letters praising the trust still outstripped criticisms by a large margin. Figures released in a new report show 69 people wrote to praise staff skills and attitudes. By contrast, 53 complaints were received from a total of 26 individuals between January and March. In the preceding three months, there were just 34 complaints from 20 people, while 87 people wrote to praise services. Trust spokesman Sue Trimingham said there was no simple reason for the rise in complaints. She said: "There are often variations from quarter to quarter and in general there are still substantially more plaudits than complaints." According to the latest report, the highest number of complaints were received in the community nursing and health-visiting sector. Poor staff attitude and communication were the main problems cited, with examples including a patient who felt pressurised into following certain treatment and another who said they had been spoken to rudely. But as usual, Lewes Victoria Hospital came out tops in the plaudits category, with a total of 40 glowing letters sent in. Specific strong points mentioned included the high standards of a school nurse, speech therapist and dental staff. As well as running the Victoria Hospital, the trust offers a host of support and rehabilitation services for the elderly, physically disabled and those with mental health problems.

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