A survey that revealed adult social care in Bradford had improved was rubbished by councillors last night.

Members of the Health and Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee also slammed a claim that accident and emergency waiting times at Bradford Royal Infirmary were as low as they have ever been.

Councillors questioned the worth of the Adult Social Care Survey, given that only 35 per cent of 1,580 people had responded to it.

The survey was carried out in February and was distributed to 1,580 eligible service users, including people with learning and physical disabilities, and elderly people in care homes or who were receiving community services.

In the six areas presented to the scrutiny committee, Bradford had improved in every one, including scoring 19.1 out of 24 for quality of life and seeing a jump from 56.7 per cent to 60.6 for overall satisfaction with the service provided. There was also a rise in the percentage of people feeling safe using the services, climbing from 64.9 per cent to 67.

But Coun Jeanette Sunderland (Lib Dem, Idle and Thackley) pointed out that only one in three people had responded and suggested fear of being identified might be one reason people had not filled in the survey.

She said she had spoken to one person who was terrified of revealing their name, adding: “These figures are one piece of evidence that says it is sort of getting better, but there are other people saying different things.”

Janice Simpson, Bradford Council’s strategic director of adult and community services, said: “I am not saying everything is all right, but what I am saying is that it is an improvement. But we could be a lot better.”

The meeting next heard from Nancy O’Neill, who was giving an update on Clinical Commissioning Groups.

But a statement that waiting times at BRI were as low as they have ever been was jumped on by councillors.

Coun Michelle Swallow (Lab, Clayton and Fairweather Green) said: “What you have said is so far removed from people’s experiences.”

Scorn was also poured on GPs’ surgeries, and the knock-on effect on A&E departments.

Coun Ghazanfer Khaliq (Lab, Bradford Moor) said it was almost impossible to get an appointment with a GP, leading frustrated people to go to their nearest A&E instead and create a bigger demand there.

He said: “The only way to get pressure off BRI is to make GPs more accountable and accessible. BRI is always full.”