Nearly a third of GPs claim that changes to the

NHS changes make GPs consider private healthcare

Nearly a third of GPs claim that changes to the NHS mean they are more likely to use private healthcare themselves, according to a survey by Pulse.

The study by the magazine for general practitioners revealed that 32% of the 578 GPs it surveyed said the NHS changes meant they would consider paying for their own treatment.

Just 7% said the reforms had decreased the chance of them using private care for themselves. However, 61% said the changes to the NHS wouldn't make them more or less likely to pay for private care.

A quarter of those surveyed in the Pulse State of the Profession Survey said that they had private medical insurance.

The magazine reports that in an earlier survey, 39% of GPs said they'd seen an increase in patients asking about private treatment spurred on by increased waiting times and some treatments being rationed.

About one in eight Britons have private health insurance, with about 2.5 million getting cover through schemes offered by their employers.

This week prime minister David Cameron pledged to protect the NHS, saying his plans "will not endanger universal coverage" and that the government "will make sure it remains a National Health Service".

"We will not break up or hinder efficient and integrated care - we will improve it. We will not lose control of waiting times - we will ensure they are kept low. We will not cut spending on the NHS - we will increase it," he promised.