WALES must properly fund GP practices or risk losing the service, the British Medical Association (BMA) has warned.

Giving evidence to the Senedd inquiry into the future of general practice on Wednesday, Dr Gareth Oelmann and Dr Ian Harris of the BMA’s Welsh GP committee described the precarious state of the service.

Doctors highlighted an outdated funding formula, GP shortages, the financial burden of higher National Insurance contributions and the unsafe condition of many GP estates.

Dr Oelmann said it was vital for politicians and the public to understand the “extreme pressures” facing practices, with 89 per cent of GPs reporting they are unable to meet patient demand.

“Colleagues consistently report financial challenges, including difficulties hiring additional GPs to meet increasing patient demand and uncertainty regarding the job security of practice staff,” he said.

“[During the inquiry] we emphasised that without adequate funding for general practice, including a more equitable allocation of the NHS budget, general practice is at risk of collapse, which would subsequently impact the entire NHS.”