GPs aim to reduce appointment availability in response to pay protests. Family doctors are deciding on whether to participate in nationwide "collective action" with work-to-rule regulations expected to be implemented next week.GPs will reduce the number of appointments they provide per day as part of a salary protest. Family doctors are deciding on whether to participate in nationwide "collective action" with work-to-rule regulations expected to be implemented next week.

It could mean cutting the number of patients GPs deal with every day by up to a third.

According to daily telegraph the plans are a blow to a government drive to make the NHS responsible for getting people on benefits back to work.

A report by Alan Milburn, the Labour grandee, launched on Tuesday, said GPs should be at the heart of the Government’s plans to tackle joblessness.

Mr Milburn, a former Labour health secretary, who is expected to be given a key role advising the new Government, said NHS integrated care boards should be given a duty to encourage people back to work and such moves would be essential to “breaking the link between ill health and economic inactivity”.

The report said doctors should recommend more physical activity to patients, and support more people with long-term conditions, such as mental health and musculoskeletal conditions, that are driving economic inactivity.

A radical new strategy. At the unveiling, Liz Kendall, the Work and Pensions Secretary, promised "a radically new approach" to welfare, claiming that "we have failed to properly connect health work and skills."A radical new strategy. At the unveiling, Liz Kendall, the Work and Pensions Secretary, promised "a radically new approach" to welfare, claiming that "we have failed to properly connect health work and skills."

Almost 10m out of work

In his report, Mr Milburn, the chairman of the Pathways To Work Commission, said: “Ill health is driving labour market shortages and so constraining economic growth,” pointing to the huge rise in economic inactivity, with 9.4 million people of working age not looking for work or available to work.

Ms Kendall welcomed the report but would not commit to adopting its recommendation for Labour to introduce a “duty to engage” with job centres. 

However, in her first major speech in office, she also signalled a big shift on mental health by criticising Mel Stride, her Conservative predecessor, for claiming “people just felt too bluesy” to work.