Plans to increase inspection fees for practices by more than 75% sparked outrage last night.

The Care Quality Commission has taken the step after overspending its budgets for practice inspections in a desperate bid to meet targets.

The practice fees are due to be reimbursed by NHS England, allowing the commission to boost its budgets from NHS funds.

Under the proposals a practice with fewer than 5,000 patients will see fees increase from £2,187 to £3,845. The largest practices with more than 15,000 will see fees increase from £3,365 to £5,918.

Dr Mark Sanford-Wood, from the British Medical Association’s GP committee, condemned the increases as “scandalous.”

He said: “While NHS England has promised to reimburse GP practices for the increase in fees, it nevertheless will divert overstretched NHS funds from other budgets from frontline patient services to maintain a system of regulation and inspection in which the majority of GPs have little confidence.

“A recent BMA survey found that nine out of ten GPs felt the current inspection scheme was flawed and bureaucratic, with the vast majority reporting that it diverts GPs, nurses and other staff away from treating patients.

“The CQC is planning to significantly reduce the scale of its GP inspections which should lower the cost of regulation. This makes the proposal to increase its fees inexplicable and wholly unjustified.”

CQC chief executive David Behan said: “The fees paid by providers enable us to fulfil our purpose of making sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care.”