One should not over-estimate the amount of time and effort that this would save

Dr Hamish Meldrum

It is felt that this would provide patients with a quicker service, and help relieve pressure on hard-pressed practices.

A pilot scheme in Crawley, West Sussex, found that the introduction of telephone consultations reduced face-to-face appointments by 10%.

This helped to reduce waiting times for patients significantly.

David Fillingham, NHS Modernisation Agency director, said that greater use of telephone consultations might also help to detect serious illness earlier because patients would not have to wait to see a doctor.

BMA sceptical

However, Dr Hamish Meldrum, a senior member of the British Medical Association's GP Committee, told BBC News Online that the scheme could only ever have a marginal impact.

He said: "One should not over-estimate the amount of time and effort that this would save, and often it is not what patients want either.

"Most GPs would be happy to use phone consultations from time to time where it is appropriate, but to pretend that it could have a significant impact on the workload that GPs face would not be true."

The formation of the telephone helpline NHS Direct has led to concerns that some patients are not getting quality advice.

However, a study by the National Audit Office published earlier this year found that most people who had used the service were highly satisfied.

The BMA is currently in negotiations over a new contract for GPs. It has warned that over-work has led to poor morale and to a problem with retaining sufficent numbers of experienced staff.