HEALTH watchdogs in County Durham dealt with 84 complaints about local services last year, according to a new report.

Darlington and Teesdale Community Health Council's (CHC) annual report shows that the number of formal complaints received was up by seven on the year 2001-02.

Twenty-nine were related to Darlington Memorial Hospital and 16 about local GPs.

The CHC received funding from the Department of Health to pilot an Independent Complaints Advocacy Service between October 2002 and August this year.