YORK Hospital Trust received 14 times as many messages of thanks than complaints last year with more than 9000 people writing to express their gratitude.

The trust received 9,123 compliments in the form of letters and thank you cards – a 33 per cent rise on the previous year.

In contrast, it received 655 complaints in 2014/15, a reduction on 687 the previous year.

Andy White, of Friends of York Hospital, said: "It is no surprise to hear that compliments are vastly outnumbering the number of complaints. The hospital volunteers often hear patients and ex-patients voicing their appreciation – and this usually isn’t picked up in official surveys.”

The majority of complaints received were about clinical treatment, with 376 complaints received. The second highest related to staff attitude with 65 complaints, and 31 people complained about admission, transfers and discharges.

The trust said it had seen a rise in the number of people using social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to leave compliments or reviews and it is looking at developing a system to record and share this feedback.

Beverley Geary, director of nursing at York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We treat and hear from thousands of people every year and it is testament to our staff that the number of compliments we receive far exceeds the number of complaints.

“Compliments enable us to feedback to staff where they are providing an excellent service and we always make sure that they are passed onto the team or staff members involved in the patient’s care. “We place a high value on patient feedback as a resource to provide assurance that the care and treatment provided at our hospitals and across community services meets the needs and expectations of patients in terms of quality, outcome and safety.

“We value all feedback and acknowledge that there are occasions when we don’t get it completely right. This feedback, and the learning that arises as a result, can help us focus on the steps we need to take to improve the quality and safety of the services that we deliver.”