GPs and dentists in Dorset received more than a thousand written complaints over the course of a year, according to NHS data.

Figures show that GP and dental practices in Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) received 1,341 written complaints between April 2017 and March 2018.

The number of complaints rose by three per cent on the previous year, when 1,303 written complaints were received.

In total 1,255 complaints were dealt with in 2017/18, of which 46 per cent were upheld.

A further 13 per cent of resolved complaints were partially upheld, that is some elements of those complaints were dismissed.

Healthwatch, the independent patients' rights group, said that looking at the "pure numbers" was less important than looking at what was being learned from complaints.

"After all, that is the main reason people complain in the first in the first place, to make sure services learn and so others don't have to suffer the same poor experience in future," said policy head Jacob Lant.

The British Medical Association, the union for doctors, said the number of complaints made against GPs should be looked at as part of a bigger picture. Across England the number of recorded written complaints rose by four per cent to nearly 95,000.

GP committee chairman Richard Vautrey said: "The BMA estimates there are half a billion GP consultations in England each year.

"So whilst any complaint is regrettable, these figures represent a very tiny proportion of the patients GPs care for."

Nationally, there were more than 85,000 resolved complaints, of which more than 40,000 were upheld or partially upheld.

Dr Vautrey added: "Where a valid complaint is made and upheld, we believe it's vital that a GP makes appropriate amends and the practice puts measures in place to make sure the error isn't repeated."

In Dorset, complaints that were found to be 'unsubstantiated, frivolous or vexatious' and were not upheld made up 41 per cent of the total.

NHS England said it was working hard to help drive up the standards of complaints handling in primary care.

A spokesman said: "More than a million patients use the NHS every 36 hours, and while the vast majority are satisfied with the care they receive, we welcome all forms of feedback from patients and their families so we can continue to improve the services we deliver to them."