By DANIEL MARTIN

Last updated at 22:07 31 October 2007

The number of GPs earning more than £250,000 has doubled in a year.

The average family doctor in England now earns £113,600, according to official figures yesterday.

Despite the pay increase, they work about seven fewer hours a week than they did before 2004.

That was the year a new contract allowed GPs to opt out of responsibility for patients outside of working hours.

The salaries were agreed as part of the contract.

Campaigners criticised the rises last night. Katherine Murphy, of the Patients Association, said: "GPs are 10 per cent better off but their patients are not.

"Patients have to pay more than ever for their NHS and are entitled to expect a better service.

"What they have had to put up with far too often is a system riddled with fault lines, office hours only, delayed appointments, poor communications and retribution if they complain."

Matthew Elliott, of the Taxpayers' Alliance, added: "This is an astonishing amount to pay GPs when the service received by patients has improved so little.

"At three times the rate of inflation, it's difficult to see why GPs deserve this pay rise."

A total of 307 GPs earned more than £250,000 in 2006/07, up from 154 the year before, according to yesterday's figures for 2005/06 from the Information Centre for Health and Social Care.

Some 815 earn between £200,000 and £250,000 - almost double the previous year's figure.

More than 19,532 GPs earn more than £100,000 - compared to 14,343 who earn less. In England, GPs take home an average of £113,600. In Wales, the figure is £102,194, while in Northern Ireland it is £98,656 and in Scotland £90,619.

The British Medical Association, which represents doctors during pay negotiations with the Government, said GPs were worth every penny.

Dr Laurence Buckman, chairman of the BMA's GP committee, said: "Most of the increase in GP pay in recent years has come from the extra resources that GPs earn if they offer higher quality patient care. The outcome from this raised quality is a better standard of health."

In real terms, the average salary was likely to fall in subsequent years, he said, as the Government has hours are worked each week for the NHS by the average GP pegged pay rises to 0 per cent for the past two years.

However, the performance-related element of the contract means salaries could still increase. GPs are paid extra for procedures such as blood tests or counting obese patients.

The BMA threatened to turn away new patients and cut services in response to the pay freeze.

Tory health spokesman Andrew Lansley said: "We believe GPs are senior professionals and should be paid as such. But GPs should take increasing responsibility for the commissioning of services for patients."

Pay rises for GPs and consultants, which cost the Government more than expected, have been blamed in part for NHS deficits. MPs on the Commons health select committee branded GP pay as "excessive".

A BMA representative who negotiated the GPs' contract described it as "a bit of a laugh" that pay rose while they were allowed to pull out of responsibility for patients before 8am, after 6.30pm, and at weekends.

More than 90 per cent decided to do so. Primary care trusts took over responsibility and have brought in private firms to take over.

But the services are not as effective, according to the Committee. It described out- of-hours care as a "shambles".

Health Minister Ben Bradshaw said: 'It is right that GPs should be rewarded for the care they provide to patients. The current contract has helped boost GP numbers and improve care for patients. But we do want to see GPs offering more convenient and flexible opening hours.

"We will be working with GPs to ensure that at least 50 per cent of practices extend their opening hours and we are taking action to tie GP income more closely to patient experiences."

The BMA said high-earning GPs were in charge of big practices, employing lots of doctors or also dispensing drugs.