8,000 blow the whistle on failings in NHS care as number of insiders exposing failures doubles in a year Last year 8,634 people contacted the Care Quality Commission - the equivalent of 24 calls a day It was forced to apologise after managers were accused of suppressing a report into maternity services at Furness general hospital in Cumbria Most of the calls related to poor standards in social care - from residential care homes to home helps The number of whistleblowers exposing bad practice in the NHS and care for the elderly has more than doubled in a year, according to a report. Last year, 8,634 people got in touch with the Care Quality Commission, the equivalent of 24 calls a day - raising concerns that not all reports are being listened to because the regulator is under such pressure. Last month the CQC was forced to apologise after senior managers were accused of suppressing a damning report into maternity services at Furness general hospital in Cumbria. The Care Quality Commission was forced to apologise after senior managers were accused of suppressing a report into maternity services at Furness general hospital A whistleblower had raised concerns but claimed they were ignored. Most of the calls (7,456) related to poor standards in social care - from residential care homes to home helps. Some 601 related to NHS trusts, while 309 were about private health providers. Some 122 cases referred to dentists, 116 to ambulance trusts and 19 to GP surgeries and other primary care services. The huge rise in calls also follows high-profile scandals such as Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust, where up to 1,200 died unnecessarily The report said the CQC had improved its whistleblowing procedures by setting up a team of 46 staff to ensure that all cases are processed efficiently. But the huge rise in calls also follows high-profile scandals such as Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust, where up to 1,200 died unnecessarily. However, It is not known whether the increase is down to the greater willingness of whistleblowers to come forward, or whether the number of cases is on the up. Peter Walsh, chief executive of Action Against Medical Accidents, said: "The acid test will be what the CQC does about the information on cases provided to it." Dementia patients are not being tested properly in hospital, according to the latest National Dementia Audit. Tests for delirium and mental state are at an "alarmingly low" level, meaning patients could be staying in hospital for longer than necessary, the Royal College of Psychiatrists said. The report also found that two in five hospitals did not provide dementia awareness training to new staff, while 11 per cent did not provide such training to nurses.