GPs will be fined for lengthy waiting times
Doctors' surgeries risk losing millions of pounds from today if patients complain about waiting times.
Under new rules, doctors who receive negative responses from patients who have trouble getting an appointment will be penalised financially.
It means an average practice of three GPs with 5,800 patients could lose £7,000 while a larger one could see up to £25,000 cut from its budget. It is feared the scheme could lead to total cuts of £10million.
Official figures show that an eighth of patients have difficulties seeing their GPs within two days while a third cannot get an appointment more than 48 hours in advance.
Meanwhile GPs' wages have soared by more than 50 per cent to an average of about £100,000.
Doctors said they would appeal against the fines as the GP Patient Survey was published in England, Wales and Northern Ireland today.
They argue fines will lead to cutbacks such as fewer appointments and reducing staff hours. The survey has been criticised as only two of 49 questions - both of which concern appointments - will affect GPs' funding.
It is also claimed results are based on too few responses. In Scotland, where the regime began last month, one practice lost £16,000 based on the ratings of 51 patients.
Laurence Buckman, chairman of the British Medical Association GPs' Committee, said: "A large number of practices in England will be adversely hit and in many cases unfairly hit.
"The penalties are going to range from tiny to huge. I don't think patients realised that when they filled in the survey. The results can be skewed enormously by responses from a small number of patients."
He said a large practice suffering cuts of £15,000 to £25,000 may have to lose a nurse: "With five-figure sums at stake we can't just tighten belts, it will impact on services.
"It takes a few patients that respond negatively to affect the services offered to all. We want the survey scrapped."
Katherine Murphy, director of the Patients Association, said: "It's up to GPs to get the access right and priority should be given to it."
