PATIENTS have made 72 complaints regarding 62 doctors in the town in the last five years, according to figures from the General Medical Council (GMC).

A Warrington Guardian Freedom of Information request has found one GP has been struck off as a result following a fitness to practise hearing.

Since 2008 the panel has had to meet for five different hearings following complaints which has also led to three suspensions.

Complaints have been at their highest in the last two years during that period as the GMC recorded 16 grievances raised in 2012 and 2011 compared to 12 in 2009.

The vast majority have been concluded without the need for any action to be taken however six investigations have led to a warning being issued.

A total of 17 cases ‘concluded with advice’ which often relates to improving record-keeping.

Nationally, figures have found the majority of complaints are related to the way doctor’s communicate with their patients and their ‘clinical care’ including ‘being poor at assessing patients’ according to the GMC 2013 UK report.

A spokesman from NHS England, Cheshire, Warrington and Wirral, said: “NHS England in Cheshire, Warrington and the Wirral is committed to the continued improvement of primary care services.

“Five GMC hearings have been held into GPs in Warrington between 2008 and 2012 with only one of those cases occurring during 2011 and 2012.

“The GMC’s role is to register doctors and also ensuring that the standards patients and the pubic expect are maintained.

“Where standards dip below what is expected it is appropriate that these issues are raised with the GMC.

“In the past five years, 72 doctors have been reported to the GMC and only 3.6 per cent led to a hearing.”

Any patient can refer a doctor to the GMC directly.