GPs have called for more time with patients after a survey revealed that Britons have some of the shortest medical consultations in Europe.

The survey, published in the British Medical Journal, suggests that GPs spend an average of just nine minutes with each patient.

This compares to an average of 15 minutes in Switzerland and Belgium and a European average of almost 11 minutes.

GP consultations

Switzerland 15.6 mins Belgium 15 mins Netherlands 10.2 mins UK 9.4 mins Spain 7.8 mins Germany 7.6 mins

The British Medical Association said the finding highlighted the fact that British GPs were overworked and more doctors were needed.

Researchers from Ghent University looked at 190 GPs from six European countries with different healthcare systems. They videotaped and analysed appointments with 3,674 patients.

Their study revealed huge variations across Europe in the length of time GPs spend with patients.

It found that the longest consultations take place in Switzerland, lasting an average of 15.6 minutes.

The shortest occur in Germany, lasting just 7.6 minutes on average. In Britain, the average consultation with a GP lasts 9.4 minutes - well below the European average of 10.7 minutes.

City divide

The survey also found that GPs working in cities spend more time with patients than those working in rural areas - approximately 1.5 times longer.

Doctors also spend more time with female patients - approximately one minute extra compared to men.

Predictably, consultations lasted longer when patients presented with new health complaints. This caused consultations to run for 51 seconds longer on average.

Consultations were also longer if the patient presented with psychological problems.

Similarly, GPs spend longer with patients the older they are - consultations lengthened by 1.2 seconds each year.

Dr Laurence Buckman of the British Medical Association said the average consultation should be much longer.

"Our ideal would be consultations which are longer than 10 minutes. Many GPs already achieve this but others simply cannot. It is very difficult.

"We need a lot more doctors and a lot more nurses if we are to get longer consultations."

He added: "We also need the government to stop telling patients that they should go to their doctor at the drop of a hat. That is stoking the problem."