Patients fear being victimised when they complain to NHS Half of complaints were not handled well, says the Patients Association Report also found barely any change in the culture of secrecy in NHS One said ordeal was "exhausting" and left him feeling scared to go back More than 3,300 complaints made by patients against NHS every week The figure is up 5% in a year because more people are speaking up Patients who dare to complain about poor NHS care are made to feel frightened and left exhausted and disheartened, a report warns. Many of those who raised concerns were confronted by hostile staff who denied doing anything wrong. Others said they feared that pursuing the complaint would cause staff to treat them even worse out of spite. Patients are scared they will be victimised when they complain to the NHS, according to Patients Association The Patients Association report found that half of complaints were not handled well and warned that the culture of secrecy in the NHS had barely changed since the Mid Staffordshire hospital scandal, in which hundreds died due to neglect. An inquiry 18 months ago led by Sir Robert Francis QC called for sweeping reforms to the Health Service to make it more transparent. But the charity says that, based on patients" experiences, there is little evidence of a culture shift. 55 shares Figures show that more than 3,300 complaints are made against NHS hospitals and GP surgeries by patients and their families every week - up by 5 per cent in a year, partly because the public are becoming more inclined to speak up. The Patients Association surveyed 1,200 people who had all complained about poor care experienced by themselves or a loved-one. Nearly half said the issue was poorly handled and a quarter said staff were unhelpful or defensive. Half were concerned that following up the complaint would make staff deliberately treat them or their loved-ones badly. The report found more than half of those that did complain said that it was not handled well and were confronted by hostile staff More than half said they were unhappy with the final outcome, including a third who were "very dissatisfied." One patient said the ordeal of trying to find out what went wrong was "exhausting" and left him feeling scared to go back to hospital. Another described the "sheer dishonesty" and "lack of transparency" among staff who had dismissed his case instantly. A third said his doctor had urged him not to complain as it "would take up too much time." Patients Association chief executive Katherine Murphy said: "Patients continue to face huge barriers when complaining. There is little evidence of the promised total culture shift in the NHS. Much more needs to be done to ensure patients, relatives and carers feel confident, supported and their concerns welcomed. The report adds: "It is a sad indictment of our NHS that patients, relatives and carers continue to find making a complaint an uncomfortable and distressing process." The charity is urging all NHS hospitals to introduce a basic set of rules to make it easier for patients to raise concerns. Yesterday, the General Medical Council told doctors and nurses to be more honest and own up to mistakes.