Older vulnerable people are often reliant on relatives to raise concerns when things go wrong in hospital, yet over half (51%) of family members with a concern say they find it difficult complaining about poor hospital care or the treatment of an older relative, according to a new survey.

The survey, published by Gransnet and the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, asked Gransnet members about their experiences of complaining about poor hospital care on behalf of an older relative.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman sees far fewer complaints from older people than would be expected given older people’s high usage of NHS services.

A previous report by the Ombudsman Service has highlighted that many older people are afraid to raise the alarm when something goes wrong in their care and worry about what will happen to them if they do.

The survey of over 600 Gransnet members reveals that:

• Of those who were concerned about the treatment of their older relative, just over half (58%) complained.
• Two-thirds (67%) of those who complained do not believe complaining makes a difference.
• Over 1 in 3 (35%) respondents said there were occasions where they were concerned about the care or treatment of their older relative in hospital.
• Almost 1 in 3 (31%) felt that the hospital staff did not have an adequate understanding of their older relative's condition or care needs.

The survey also reveals wider concerns about communication with older patients and their families:

• 2 in 5 (40%) participants did not feel they were kept informed about their older relative's condition in hospital and were not given enough opportunities to discuss their care and treatment.
• 1 in 3 (33%) respondents felt they were not adequately involved in decisions about their older relative’s care and treatment. Poor communication is a factor in around one third of all complaints the Ombudsman service investigates about the NHS in England.

The types of issues respondents experienced included their older relative not being given enough help with their personal care needs, such as going to the bathroom and washing themselves, which affected over 1 in 4 (28%).

Almost 1 in 5 (19%) of those surveyed said that their older relative had not been treated with dignity and respect during their time in hospital.