The fundamental problem is the relative shortage of doctors, nurses and other skilled workers in the NHS

Dr Simon Fradd BMA GPs committee

It also promised patients would have to wait no longer than 24 hours for an appointment with other primary care professionals such as a practice nurse.

At the moment, around half of patients currently wait longer than two days to see their doctor.

GPs will also be encouraged to carry put a wider range of tests and minor operations to reduce the number of patients they send to hospital.

'Long way to go'

But GPs have raised concerns about whether the target will be met, given present staff shortages.

Mr Milburn said "There is a long way to go, but the extra resources we are putting into the NHS are beginning to produce results."

He said there were already more doctors, nurses and hospital beds, but admitted it would take time for "improvements to bite".

He promised that the public would see progress in the NHS over the next few years as sustained investment and a major programme took effect.

He added: "Primary care services - especially in the GP's surgery - are the first port of call for most patients.

"These extra resources will help more GPs deliver shorter waiting times and a wider range of convenient treatments for more patients."

Dr John Oldham, a GP in Glossop, Derbyshire, is head of the National Primary Care Development Team (NPCDT), which supports primary care.

He said some practices, which were "willing to look at old problems in new ways" are already meeting the targets.

"Sometimes, but not always, this work has some costs, perhaps employing a new nurse assistant to free more experienced nurses so that they can see more quickly patients who really need their skills.

"It may be about getting small pieces of equipment such as electronic blood pressure machines, or training of receptionists in phlebotomy.

"Minimal cost but significant benefit which is why this extra money is very welcome."

Ambitions 'shared'

But Dr Simon Fradd, joint deputy chairman of the BMA's GP committee, warned that meeting the target could mean shorter consultation times when patients did see the GP and said doctors with more patients on their lists could have more problems achieving the aim.

"Doctors share the public's ambition of being able to achieve these targets, and we welcome any initiative that helps us achieve that.

"But although extra resources are welcome, it seems that the government constantly confuses money as being the whole requirement to improve services.

"The fundamental problem is the relative shortage of doctors, nurses and other skilled workers in the NHS, compared to other countries."

The BMA is calling for 10,000 extra doctors to meet the needs of the NHS.