PUBLIC-SECTOR unions have demanded the Welsh government provide extra funding for beleaguered services after a record rise in complaints from the public.

Unison Cymru said that figures in the public services ombudsman for Wales annual report published today reflect the intense pressure services are under.

Ombudsman Michelle Morris revealed it had recorded the busiest 12 months in its 20-year history due to a record rise in complaints about public services and councillor conduct across Wales.

She said: “This is the clearest signal yet that pressure on public services continues to be felt by people across Wales.

“We are now receiving three times as many complaints as the office did 20 years ago, and this year’s increase is the sharpest we have seen.”

The ombudsman received 4,507 complaints across Welsh public services and code of conduct remits — 27 per cent more than last year.

Unison Cymru head of local government Darron Dupre said: “These figures reflect the intense pressure public services across Wales are under.

“Council staff are working hard to keep vital services running, but many teams are stretched by financial pressures, vacancies and growing demand.

“Complaints must always be taken seriously, but councils can’t improve services without the staff and resources to do the job.

“The Welsh government must provide the long-term, sustainable funding councils need to rebuild services and give communities the support they deserve,” Mr Dupre said.

The largest increases came from the sectors that account for most of the ombudsman’s casework, with complaints about health boards rising by 42 per cent and local authorities by 27 per cent to 1,704.

A Welsh Local Government Association spokesperson said: “It’s clear that enormous financial pressures on essential local services budgets are being felt keenly.”

The Welsh government was asked to comment.