Almost half of GP practices in England are already taking some form of industrial action in a row over a new NHS contract, a poll suggests.

The British Medical Association said family doctors voted overwhelmingly for action when it announced the result of a ballot earlier this month.

The militant union has threatened to bring the NHS to a ‘standstill’ with a catalogue of crippling measures deployed as a ‘slow burn’.

But a snap poll of 283 GP partners by trade magazine Pulse reveals 46 per cent are already taking some form of action and 20 per cent plan to do so in the future. Only 7 per cent ruled out taking any action. 

The BMA, which called the new contracts ‘derisory’, arguing a proposed budget increase of 1.9 per cent would leave many surgeries struggling to stay afloat, said 98.3 per cent of the 8,500 votes were in favour of industrial action.

It is encouraging surgeries to choose from a list of ten actions, with practices able to choose how many they implement and when – including some slashing available appointments by half to a maximum of 25 per GP per day.

More than a quarter of the practices who responded to the poll were already limiting patient contacts, while 44 per cent said they were considering it.

A quarter of GPs said they believe industrial action will affect patient harm in the short term and 19 per cent in the long term. But most feel it will make no difference or decrease harm.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting warned the move will ‘punish’ the public, while experts said the impact is likely to be ‘catastrophic’.