Both Wales and Scotland are at risk of suffering an exodus of GPs because of growing workloads, according to two surveys published yesterday.

In both countries about nine out of ten doctors agreed that shortage of resources was putting patients at risk.

Both surveys were commissioned by the Royal College of GPs through pollsters ComRes in advance of national elections in the two countries.

In Scotland some 77% of GPs worried about missing something serious – while in Wales this proportion was 84%.

The surveys found that 9% of GPs in Scotland plan to quit within 12 months. Some 58% hoped to leave or reduce hours in the next five years while in Wales this proportion was 56%.

Dr Miles Mack, college chair in Scotland, said: “A wholesale departure of GPs now looks likely given the current conditions the profession faces. In that instance, patient safety clearly will suffer further.

“General practice in Scotland is a defining issue in this Scottish Parliamentary election.

“RCGP Scotland has been warning of this snowballing state of affairs for two and a half years now and has put forward positive solutions to see the crisis resolved.”

The Welsh college chair Dr Rebecca Payne said: “Wales desperately needs more GPs to help alleviate the pressure and ahead of the Assembly election, we as a College in Wales are calling for 400 more GPs by 2020, as well as a rapid expansion in other professionals trained to work in primary care such as nurses, pharmacists and paramedics.

“The next Welsh Government must act on this and copy the massive English investment announced last week into general practice to support an increase in the general practice workforce and a transformation in how services are delivered.”

ComRes questioned 100 doctors in Wales and 150 in Scotland.