1 in 10 complaints made against doctors were so serious that they faced inquiries by the Medical Council.
The Council has carried out its first ever review of complaints made against GPs, which found a 46 per cent increase in issues raised in the four years up to 2012.
Male doctors are twice as likely to be complained about than females - with most concerns raised against older male doctors aged between 56 and 64.
The most common complaint was around bad communication or poor bedside manner.
Helen Vaughan reports.
