There were 1,719 calls to complain, ask for information or make suggestions at the hospital's customer care unit last year, Social Policy Minister John Dalli said.

He told Labour MP Anthony Agius Decelis that 60 per cent of the calls were to complain, 20 per cent wanted advice on access to services, 10 per cent wanted information on services, nine per cent made suggestions and one per cent requested guidance or directions.

The most common complaint related to waiting periods for an appointment with an outpatients' consultant, misplaced medical files, postponement of appointments, shortage of medicinals, long waiting time for operations, misplaced X-Rays and the waiting time on the day of the outpatients appointment.

The minister said that 20 per cent of complaints were solved at the time they were reported, 30 per cent were solved in less than 48 hours, 15 per cent were solved within a week or more, 30 per cent were eventually solved and five per cent remained unsolved.