Soaring indemnity charges may deal another serious blow to general practice, it has been claimed.

Doctors taking part in a survey have warned that the costs could lead them to quit the profession.

GPs have been concerned for some time about the rising costs of indemnity – which can cost up to £30,000 a year.

Costs are now set to rise again after the government changed the interest rate used for calculating future compensation costs – in a move expected to increase cash awards by the courts.

The Medical Defence Union is calling on doctors to use the election to press for a change in policy.

Its survey of doctors has found several reporting that increased costs could persuade them to leave general practice.

One GP trainee said: “I am about to qualify and the indemnity costs are seriously making me consider leaving medicine. I have already started arranging interviews outside of medicine.”

Another doctor, in their 30s, said: “Indemnity is sky rocketing now. GP indemnity at present is at an unsustainable level. I am considering leaving the profession in my 30s.”

Dr Matthew Lee, from the MDU, said: “We expected that some GPs would say they were thinking of retiring earlier or reducing the amount they work. But we didn’t expect that even recently qualified GPs would be thinking of a career change because of indemnity costs.

“This is really worrying news for general practice, which not only needs to attract more GP trainees, but be able to retain them.”