A BOLTON doctor today slammed the NHS as an inefficient monster with no future.

Dr Ian James condemned the health service in a stinging attack, as dozens of GPs in the town closed their surgeries in protest over ever-increasing workloads.

The 51-year-old doctor said he fully supported today's action "every step of the way".

He added: "I would leave the NHS tomorrow and set up a private clinic, if I could."

Morale among GPs appears to have plummeted, with 91 per cent of those in a national survey claiming to suffer from stress.

Today's action comes on National Doctor Day and aims to highlight the NHS crisis, pointing to the extra paperwork and consultations demanded by the Government.

Dr James has been a doctor for 20 years and while he was not officially taking action today -- because Tuesday is always his day off -- he vocally supported his colleagues.

He said: "There is no future in the NHS at the moment. Many patients are coming to us with minor ailments and I think the Government should be doing more to educate people into looking after themselves in such cases.

"The NHS cannot afford to be everything to everyone. There is a good argument for private care. I think people should pay funds into a pot which they can use to pay for non-urgent medical treatment."

The Government is currently looking to reform the NHS. Doctors believe a massive primary care injection of resources and manpower is needed.

A dossier of evidence on the state of GP morale was due to be delivered to the Department of Health today.

Dr James, who works at a surgery in Chorley Old Road, said: "I go home every night with stress. It is just impossible to practise medicine under present conditions. We refer patients to hospital for routine checks and they end up on waiting lists for up to six months.

"There is no back up, no facilities. It's frustrating. I once practised in Australia and I often wonder why I didn't stay there."

Many doctors have cited hightened public expectations, increased bureaucracy and a transfer of work from hospitals to general practice as problems to be resolved.

Dr James has written to Bolton West MP Ruth Kelly. She said: "Labour has committed itself to improving NHS resources over the next 10 years.

"I feel the NHS should deal with both urgent and non-urgent cases and the Government's strategy is to provide an NHS capable of doing that. We are recruiting more doctors from home and abroad. But one must bear in mind that it takes seven to 10 years to train a doctor."