Extra money has been spent on primary care in recent years

It says ministers have met their pledge to recruit 2,000 extra GPs by April 2004 and suggests 97% of patients now see a GP within the two day target.

Dr David Colin-Thome, the government's primary care tsar who wrote the report, said GPs were also providing a greater range of services than ever before.

The British Medical Association welcomed the findings.

Hospital work

According to the report, GP practices are now doing more of the work traditionally done in hospitals.

It says GPs carried out over 700,000 such procedures last year, up 100,000 on the previous year.

This progress report pays tribute to what is already being achieved in primary care and general practice Dr John Chisholm, British Medical Association

The report says progress has also been made in modernising practice premises.

Nearly 2,000 surgeries have now been improved or replaced. Some 268 non-stop primary care centres have also been established.

In addition, over 25,000 community nurses have been trained to prescribe certain medicines to patients.

"Over the last four years, primary care services have continued to expand and improve with more doctors and more nurses providing a greater range of services than ever before," said Dr Colin-Thome.

He said the introduction of the new GP contract at the beginning of April will drive improvements further. The aim of the contract is to reward practices for the quality of care they provide, not just the number of patients they treat.

Dr Colin-Thome said: "With almost every general practice in England now signed up to the new GP contract, investment in primary care will increase by a third over the next three years.

"The new contract will help realise our vision of a responsive, high-quality primary care service that meets patients' healthcare needs, close to their home, whatever their circumstances and whatever the time of day or night."

'More to come'

Dr John Chisholm, chairman of the BMA's GPs committee, backed the report's findings.

"This progress report pays tribute to what is already being achieved in primary care and general practice, through the hard work and commitment of GPs and primary care teams.

"It is also a herald of what is to come, particularly as a result of a new GP contract that is better for patients and for general practitioners and full of opportunities."

The Royal College of GPs also welcomed the findings.

"I am delighted to see that the tremendous strengths of primary care are, at last, being recognised and supported," said its chairman Professor David Haslam.

The NHS Confederation, which represents NHS management, backed that view.

"This report confirms that major improvements are underway in primary care," said Gill Morgan, its chief executive.

"We believe the new GMS contract is an exciting opportunity to build on this, with a new drive to provide high quality services closer to home.

"It also provides a firm basis on which to continue the trend towards integrated services across primary and secondary care that can further improve the patient experience and outcomes."

Andrew Lansley, for the Tories, said: "We welcome the progress that has been made but do not underestimate the real problems that exist.

"Too many patients are unable to get on a GP�s list, let alone see one within 48 hours.

"In some parts of London, 80% of general practices are no longer registering new patients."