It is not the job they want to be doing in their 50s and 60s

Dr Hamish Meldrum

This figure is three times higher than the 25% predicted by the British Medical Association (BMA), who said they needed an extra 10,000 GPs for England and Wales.

And this figure is five times that promised by the government.

Flexible lifestyle

Dr Hamish Meldrum, deputy chair of the BMA's doctor's committee said young GPs today want a more flexible lifestyle.

"People want to have more of a family life and that is understandable."

He said many watched their older colleagues getting disillusioned and stressed and are making plans to ensure this won't happen to them as they approach retirement age.

"It is a huge issue. There is not one simple cause or solution.

"It is an indication of what people feel about general practice.

"The young ones see their older colleagues getting disillusioned and the mountain of work not diminishing and it is not the job they want to be doing in their 50s and 60s."

But he said that the new figures mean even more GPs are needed to meet the growing shortage.

General practice: No longer a lifelong vocation for young

Almost 4,000 GPs took part in the research, which showed that the younger the GP the earlier he planned to retire.

Dr Andy Flett, one of the researchers said young doctors no longer view general practice as a career for life.

And that this could have a long term affect on staffing levels.

"The findings suggests there should be caution on depending on people having a life-time in general practice," he said.

Dr Flett said that like many other workers, young doctors wanted more flexibility and more variation.

"I think it is a general trend among the British work force that they seek a broader base of experience to explore different avenues," he said.