Doctors against NHS reforms

Over half of doctors oppose the government's NHS reforms, according to a survey from the British Medical Association (BMA).

Research compiled by Ipsos Mori found that 89% of doctors thought the measures would lead to a fragmentation of services, while 65% said the quality of patient care would be reduced as a result.

A further two-thirds of doctors said they believed the reforms would increase health inequalities.

Health secretary Andrew Lansley's reforms would scrap primary care trusts and give purchasing power to new GP consortia.

The changes have been described as the biggest shake-up of the NHS since it was founded in the 1940s.

The online survey took place in January and received 1,645 responses.