The Health Secretary and NHS chiefs’ plan included a ￡250million winter access fund, plus extra support for struggling surgeries. But the British Medical Association said 93 percent of almost 3,500 GPs polled agreed the plan was not adequate and may actually harm patient care. Dr Richard Vautrey, BMA GP committee England chair, said the “shambolic plan” will not appease “angry and despondent” GPs and has “failed before it has begun”.

       He said: “Patient care will suffer as imposing these measures could well result in doctors having to spend yet more time on paperwork and admin. It may also result in GPs leaving the profession.”

       Meanwhile, NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard insisted there is no “set number” to recommend for the proportion of GP appointments that are face to face.Around 58 percent of patients were seen in person in August in England, compared with 54 percent in January and more than 80 percent before the pandemic.

       Giving evidence to the Commons Health and Social Care Committee, Ms Pritchard said: “What we’ve talked about…is respecting patient preference…

       “But it’s absolutely right that [remote appointments won’t] work for everybody and it’s not going to work for every circumstance.”