A DAMNING official report to be published this week will show doctors are working significantly fewer hours for more pay.

The GPs’ Workload Survey, the first such study for 15 years, has found that after the introduction of a new contract three years ago, doctors are working on average about 15% fewer hours. During the same period pay has risen by nearly a quarter.

The report is likely to generate a backlash among nurses, who the study found are taking up much of the slack.

Gordon Brown is set to accelerate moves to force GPs to open weekend surgeries and to hold more early morning and late evening sessions. The report will show that although GPs tend to spend longer with each patient, it is nurses who are filling in on many occasions.

Another finding is that almost one-third of GPs, who earn an average of more than £100,000 a year, are working part-time.

The public is becoming increasingly concerned that GPs have received such large pay increases while many patients still struggle to book advance appointments and are unable to consult a family doctor out of hours.

Some doctors have argued that the pay rises are to the detriment of patient care because they permit GPs to work fewer hours.

The figures will strengthen Brown’s determination to make GP appointments more convenient for patients. The prime minister is understood to be concerned that patients are currently forced to take half a day off work to attend a GP surgery. Businesses say they lose 3.5m working days a year because of doctors’ appointments.

A government survey found that a quarter of patients still cannot book an appointment more than two days in advance.

Katherine Murphy of the Patients Association, said: “The huge pay rises they are now getting have not been reflected in the care patients are receiving.

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