General practitioners called for an overhaul of an “outdated, unfair” funding model, warning of an “enormous and growing” inequity putting patient safety at risk.

Doctors gave evidence as the Senedd’s health committee began an inquiry into the future of GPs amid concerns about more than 100 surgeries across Wales shutting since 2012.

James Pink, a GP partner in Llanishen, expressed concerns about the Carr-Hill formula, used to allocate funding to practices - designed in the late 1990s.

He said: “There’s almost no correlation between funding and deprivation which beggars belief.

“And the correlation between age, sex and funding isn’t as clear cut as you’d think.”

Dr Pink told the committee variation across Wales means an average practice could be £862,000 worse off than another similarly looking after 10,000 patients.

Committee members were warned: “All patients in all areas are having difficulty accessing primary care.

“We are struggling to maintain safe levels of working with the current demand and it is going to rise.”

Giving evidence on 10 July, Richard Stratton, a GP partner in Powys, agreed about the necessity of updating the “unfair” formula but cautioned that it will remain a blunt tool.

Dr Stratton said: “What we also need to factor in is the supplementary services that general practices participate in on top of the core contract.”

“The combination of a revised formula plus better use of local services… would take us forward enormously.

“At the moment, both feel hamstrung by budgetary constraints.”

Asked about the system of annual negotiations on the General Medical Services contract, Dr Stratton said single-year budgets have a ‘debilitating impact’ on investment.

“Without that ability to plan, everything is crisis management,” he warned.

In its evidence, the Royal College of General Practitioners said GPs worked across 516 practices in Wales in 2002 but only 374 remain today.