Complaints about how pensioners living in district nursing and residential homes are treated have more than doubled in three years, the Telegraph & Argus can reveal. Now one MP is calling for an urgent investigation into the “alarming” figures.

Statistics from Bradford Council reveal that safeguarding referrals and investigations involving those aged 65 and over soared from 254 in 2009 to 517 in 2012.

In that period, there were a total of 1,366 referrals and investigations across the district.

The rise has been called “alarming” by Bradford East MP David Ward, (Lib Dem), while Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe (Lab), said he was concerned.

Types of abuse investigated included institutional abuse, which could include cutting back on food, heating, inappropriate care workers being employed, loss of dignity and respect, discrimination, neglect, financial exploitation, emotional abuse, and sexual and physical abuse.

The Council’s strategic director of adult services, Janice Simpson, said increased awareness and reporting of adult abuse had led to the spike in figures, which were not linked to any one incident. She said the rise was part of a national trend.

But Mr Sutcliffe slammed the Council’s “complacency” and called for a more robust response.

“The Council is being complacent and we need more of a picture about what is going on and what is happening,” Mr Sutcliffe said.

“We are already hearing that the Government is dedicating GPs to people over 75 so there is definitely a changing picture as far as demographics go.

“But we need a more robust response than saying people are just aware. These are concerning figures that have doubled in three years.

“What are the issues? What does it mean? Who are these people affected? What more needs to be done?

“I acknowledge some awareness raising but we can’t just shrug our shoulders.”

Mr Ward, who has his own Bradford Care campaign to protect society’s most vulnerable, said: “From my summer 2012 survey on the state of social care in Bradford, I found that a number of Bradford residents had concerns about the quality of care in residential homes and the attitude and competence of a minority of care workers.

“There was a general feeling that the standard of care in some residential care homes leaves room for improvement.

“Nevertheless, this is an alarming trend. The Council needs to show that they care and must undertake a full investigation to better understand the reasons behind this concerning rise and take action.

“Care home operators also need to make sure that they have fully trained, well-paid and well motivated staff and that’s why I support the ever increasing calls for the registration of adult social care workers, which would guarantee minimum training standards and suitable pay for care workers.”

Mrs Simpson said there was “no evidence” that people were more at risk now than in 2009.

She said: “We want to encourage more reporting of safeguarding concerns but that doesn’t mean necessarily that more people are at risk. The fact that there is more reporting is positive as there is less tolerance of suspected abuse and we are able to respond and protect vulnerable adults. We have seven council-run homes, but the majority of providers are within the private and voluntary sector, and are subject to the same processes and regulations.”

She said there was an online system to make it easier for people to refer, using the Bradford Council website or by contacting the Adult Protection Unit which is jointly funded by the Council, NHS and Police.

Mrs Simpson said it was important that anyone being treated inappropriately should “speak up” to someone they trust, be that a social worker, health worker, family, friend or staff in the home, or make contact directly with the Council Coun Amir Hussain, the Council’s executive member responsible for Adult Services, said that the Council took safeguarding very seriously.

He said: “I don’t think we need to investigate but keep a close eye on what happens in coming months. I don’t think we need to do anything drastic.”

Healthwatch, the independent consumer champion for people’s health rights, said that while any increase in abuse was unacceptable, this increase in safeguarding referrals over the past three years could be a positive reflection of increased awareness among professionals and the public.

Keith Nathan, the chief executive of Age UK Bradford & District, said: “At Age UK locally we do have the view that the local Adult Protection Service and Adult Safeguarding Board are hard working and we do refer cases that we either come across directly or which people bring to us.

“It can be very difficult when people contact us or come in to express worries but ‘having got it off their chest’ ask that we do nothing! We have to explain that we cannot ‘unknow’ what they have told us and must refer.

“I think Janice Simpson may be correct that the increase is at least partly due to greater public awareness and heightened concern following Winterbourne View and other shocking cases in recent years but I would be cautious that that is the entire situation.

“My view is that the health and social care system is under enormous pressure at present.”