More GPs are needed in the UK

Speaking at a British Medical Association conference, he said this should help boost the number of GPs.

The government pledged to increase GP recruitment to reverse shortages in the UK.

Medical bodies welcomed the proposal but questioned whether funding would allow this to happen.

GP shortage

In January, a report by the Liberal Democrats claimed there were over 3,000 GP vacancies across England.

It said the situation would get even worse in the months and years ahead as more GPs retire.

Mr Hutton said confirmed the government's commitment to increase the number of GPs, outlining plans to make it mandatory for qualified doctors to spend part of their postgraduate training in general practice.

"We need significantly more GPs going into primary care.

We are delighted that the government recognises the importance and value general practice. Professor David Haslam, chair of the Royal College of GPs

"I would like everyone going into medicine to spend a chunk of their time in a primary care setting and that is what we would like to achieve."

He said the government would put resources into the training budget to ensure this would happen.

"The ambition we started with in terms of Modernising Medical Careers remains, that is for every doctor going into the post-graduate stage of training to have experience of general practice.

"We have not given up. We will put resources that are needed into the training budget to make sure we give people that opportunity," he said.

Doctors attending the conference said GPs were looked down on by hospital doctors, making them less likely to want to follow that career path.

But Mr Hutton said that general practice was of huge importance, with 90% of all patients entering the NHS treated in primary care.

He said the new GP contract, which gives doctors the opportunity to opt out of out-of-hours services, made general practice an attractive career option for future doctors.

"It's a fantastic profession, a noble profession and if I could choose to start my life again I would become a doctor," he said.

Professor David Haslam, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: "We are delighted that the government recognises the importance and value general practice.

"All doctors would benefit from time spent training and working as a GP. Treating the largest number of patients and the widest range of conditions in the NHS - GPs are specialists in patients."