Thousands of GPs are planning to quit their jobs over the next five years, two government studies reveal.

A report for the Scottish Executive suggests that one in five doctors will leave general practice by 2007.

A second study for the Department of Health in England suggests that an even higher proportion of doctors south of the border are considering quitting.

We found that 21% of GPs were planning to leave general practice

Dr Anthony Scott, University of Aberdeen

The findings indicate that 7,000 doctors will leave general practice over the next five years and raise serious doubts over government plans to tackle the shortage of GPs across the UK.

Overwork

The Scottish report, compiled by researchers at the National Primary Care Research and Development Centre at Manchester University, found overwork and stress are the main reasons why GPs want to leave.

Dr Anthony Scott, a health economist senior research fellow at the University of Aberdeen and one of the authors of the study, said some doctors were considering other jobs in medicine.

"Our study found that 15% of GPs in Scotland intend to leave medicine altogether in the next five years.

"We found that 21% of GPs were planning to leave general practice," he told BBC News Online.

"The main things influencing their dissatisfaction were paperwork, administration, demand from patients and organisational change."

He said a second study looking at GP satisfaction in England found that even more doctors are planning to leave general practice.

That study will be published shortly in the British Medical Journal.

Government action

A spokesman for the Scottish Executive said it was examining the study findings.

We already have some parts of the country with significant vacancies

Dr Hamish Meldrum, BMA

"The results of this survey have been noted and are being used to inform the development of policy in a number of areas."

He said ministers were examining how the proposed new GP contract and financial incentives could help to improve the situation.

The government has pledged to recruit an extra 2,000 GPs in England by 2004.

It has introduced financial incentives to encourage existing GPs not to take early retirement as part of efforts to tackle shortages.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health in London said strategies to tackle the shortage of GPs took account of the numbers planning to retire.

She said: "The growth in the GP workforce that we need to meet NHS Plan targets will come from the record number of GPs now in training.

"Our workforce planning mechanisms also take account of the number of GPs expected to retire from general practice."

The British Medical Association is currently negotiating a new GP contract with NHS managers.

A framework published earlier this year pledged to offer GPs more flexible working and to free up their time.

Dr Hamish Meldrum, joint deputy chairman of the BMA's GPs committee said many areas where already suffering from a major shortage of doctors.

"We already have some parts of the country with significant vacancies which are not being filled and, as a result, practices are forced to close their lists to new patients.