GPs will be made to offer patients same day appointments for 'urgent' health needs from April under the terms of a new NHS contract.

The British Medical Association said the move would likely be presented as a 'major win' for patient access but family doctors will be 'left reeling' at the requirement. 

It comes as a concerning new survey reveals almost half of the public (48 per cent) avoided or delayed contacting their GP about a health concern last year.

People cited difficulties contacting their local practice, opting to wait for the problem to go away and not expecting to be offered a suitable appointment as some of the main reasons behind their decision.

Accessing a GP is the public's main priority for the NHS, along with improved A&E waiting times, the Ipsos poll of 2,200 UK adults found.

But two in five respondents (42 per cent) believe the general standard of care provided by the NHS worsened in the last year and only one in eight (12 per cent) believe it has improved.

Tim Gardner, assistant director of policy at the Health Foundation, which commissioned the survey, said: 'Our findings signal that too often people are going without the care they need, which risks storing up health problems further down the line and placing more strain on an already stretched service.'

A report compiled by the think tank says that public confidence in the Government's NHS policies 'remains low', with 54 per cent disagreeing that their government has the right policies for the NHS compared to just 15 per cent who agree.

It comes as the Government promised to boost access to family doctors in England through a new GP contract, backed by a £485million investment.

The contract requires all patients with urgent needs to have access to a same-day GP appointment.

A separate £300million of existing money in the service will be ring-fenced to help recruit additional GPs or increase hours of current family doctors, the Department of Health and Social Care said.

Chris McCann, acting chief executive at Healthwatch England, said: 'People consistently tell us that GP services are becoming harder to use and that simply getting through the door for care can be a challenge.

'For example, we often hear from individuals who wait in long telephone queues for an appointment, only to be told that all slots have been taken for the day and that they must try again tomorrow.

'Plans to recruit more doctors should make it easier for patients to get appointments and ensure urgent cases are handled more quickly.'

The contract also requires GPs to make more use of a process in which they seek advice from hospital consultants before referring patients to them for specialist care.

Health secretary Wes Streeting said the Government was 'fixing the front door to the NHS', adding: 'We're giving practices the flexibility to hire more GPs, and backing them with extra funding to do so.

'As a result, many more patients with urgent needs will be able to get an appointment the day they contact their practice.'

But Dr Katie Bramall, chairwoman of the BMA's GP Committee, warned there is a risk patient expectations of securing a same day appointment 'won't be matched by NHS reality'.

She added: 'GPs will be left reeling over the unrealistic expectation of providing unlimited same-day urgent care and profoundly concerned regarding unnecessary barriers for patients to access specialist care all while trying to keep their practices viable and prevent closures.'

Professor Victoria Tzortiou Brown, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said there are 2,258 patients per GP, with far fewer fully qualified, full-time equivalent GPs per patient than a decade ago.

Describing the pressure as 'unsustainable' for patients and GPs, she added: 'General practice is the front door of the health service and all patients should be able to see their GP when they need to, so it is worrying to hear that some might be delaying or avoiding seeking care because they think getting an appointment will be difficult. 

'GPs are working harder than ever, with over one million appointments delivered in general practice every day across England, and 46 per cent on the same day as the booking.

'But we recognise that too many patients are still waiting too long for appointments or are anxious that they won't be able to get the care they need when they need it.

'GPs and our teams are just as frustrated as our patients when they can't access our care.'