According to a study carried out earlier this month by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), more than 80 per cent of GPs fear they might miss a serious condition in a patient because of their intense workload.

The poll also found that 93 per cent of GPs feel that their practices are not being adequately resourced to deliver high quality care and 96 per cent said they felt that morale had plunged in the last five years.

A spokeswoman for the RCGP said that the fact so many GPs are concerned they will miss a serious condition in a patient is a damning indictment of the impact of the deepening funding crisis in general practice, adding that for family doctors and practice nurses to provide their patients with excellent care, the right level of funding must be in place.

Meanwhile, a separate study has found that general practice is facing a recruitment crisis that could be “catastrophic” for both patients and practitioners.

The General Practitioners’ Committee (GPC) published a paper recently condemning the mounting workload facing GP practices and the Local Medical Committee (LMC) annual conference this year, to be held in York on May 22 and 23, will focus on the issues of workload, workforce and resourcing.

According to a spokesman for the GPC, these issues are paramount for GPs at the moment, as many doctors in general practice are sceptical about future funding and support.

Therefore, a total of 35 LMCs have submitted motions to conference on the funding crisis, with one composite motion being proposed that will demand “urgent and consistent investment in global sum and PMS (professional medical services) baselines”, stressing that a greater proportion of the NHS budget should be spent on general practice.