I hope that the award for general practitioners will put new heart into family doctoring Kenneth Robinson, Minister of Health

It goes against the national pay policy of 3 to 3.5% rises and is likely to infuriate unions representing blue-collar workers.

Britain's 23,000 general practitioners will see an average rise of about �1,000 to be paid in two stages - half now and the rest next year.

The cost of the award to GPs alone amounts to �28m.

Hospital doctors and dentists will also get an immediate rise - with junior doctors pay increasing by an average 30%. The average for all hospital staff and dentists is 13.4%.

The Minister of Health, Kenneth Robinson, told the BBC: "I hope that the award for general practitioners will put new heart into family doctoring and I hope this is going to be a beginning of a new era for general practice.

"I hope it will also stem the emigration of younger doctors that has disturbed us in the past and I hope it will encourage other younger doctors to come into general practice who wouldn't have done so."

The pay review body headed by Lord Kindersley made radical new and complicated proposals on GP pay structures and changes in hours and conditions of service.

There will be financial incentives for good medicine and high standards of service.

There will be extra pay for doctors who:

• work in group practices
• practise in deprived areas
• agree to work out of regular hours
• treat patients over the age of 65
• achieve certain levels of seniority

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