GPC chairman Dr Laurence Buckman said he had heard reports of some PCTs telling GPs to 'get on with it', after the White Paper set out plans to scrap PCTs and hand their commissioning role to GPs.

But he called for GPs to 'not rush into anything'. 'There are many hurdles to go. GPs don't need to start doing anything now, they don't have to go and get themselves organised now,' he said.

'They don't have to break into consortia now.'

Dr Buckman sought to allay GPs' fears about how commissioning would affect core pay.

'There are GPs who are worried that if they get involved in commissioning this is going to somehow flow backwards and forwards into their practice contract budget,' he said.

'We have asked the secretary of state whether the two budgets can leak into each other, and he at the moment is saying: "No they can't".'

Meanwhile, at a King's Fund event, RCGP chairman-elect Dr Clare Gerada said many GPs felt like 'rabbits in the headlights', and called for the DoH to remind GPs they would not all have to be involved in commissioning.

She said: 'It is not going to be everybody and I think we need to stop making out it is everybody, otherwise there is going to be an enormous backlash.'