THE secretary of Worcestershire Local Medical Committee has slammed the Department of Health for delaying the planned new GP contract.

Dr Simon Parkinson said he was stunned to find out that the contract had been delayed by six weeks.

He said the problems were making already demoralised doctors even angrier.

"General practice is under huge pressure and doctors are voting with their feet and leaving the profession early," said Dr Parkinson.

"In addition, there are major recruitment problems. Worcestershire is not immune to these difficulties and it is clear that the present situation is not sustainable."

He said GPs had left practices in Worcester recently and there were further problems in Redditch and Malvern.

Dr Parkinson said he was now less optimistic that they would see the changes they needed in the profession.

"We need some radical changes that will make the job attractive," he said. "It's not just more pay, although our pay is out of line with hospital consultants and our pensions are seriously out of line.

"We also need better working hours. Two weeks ago I was optimistic that we would get what we want, but I'm stunned at this.

"I'm amazed at their incompetence."

Dr John Chisholm, chairman of the British Medical Association's General Practitioners Committee, said the contract had been delayed by the lack of data available on practices' current resources.

He said there were also problems with legal issues.

"Without agreement to a new contract and implementation as soon as possible, there is a very great risk that some areas will be without any general practitioners very soon," he said.

A new study published in the British Medical Journal suggests that one in five GPs want to quit the profession in the next five years.

A spokesman for the Department of Health said ministers were fully committed to the new contract negotiations process.

"We have no wish whatsoever to delay any wise agreement being reached," he said.