GPs last week condemned the private company responsible for plans to remove patients from their practice lists.

Doctors said the controversy over removals was the latest problem to arise since public sector specialists Capita took over management for a range of administrative tasks from NHS England.

At the British Medical Association’s GP committee a motion of “no confidence” was passed in the contractors.

The committee said there had been “months of concerns” about problems in transferring patient records, making payments and delivering supplies after Capita took over these tasks from NHS England.

Capita is responsible for proposals to identify so-called “ghost patients” on GP lists by obtaining lists of people who have not visited a practice for five years.

Patients are to get two letters before they are removed from lists.

Chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul said: “We believe that the commissioned service they provide for primary care support in England is putting patients at risk and has caused serious disruption for general practice.

“The plans for removing patients from practice lists should be abandoned. Every person in the UK has a fundamental right to be registered with a local GP practice at all times. We are calling on NHS England to meet with GPC England to discuss these plans before any further action is taken.”