In an interview with GP, shadow health minister Mark Simmonds said giving patients real choice would mean publishing more information about both services and outcomes.

'We may want to drill down into the performance of individual doctors, to enable patients to make informed choices about where they receive their treatment,' he said.

He added that the Tories hope to replace NHS Choices with a 'plethora of providers'.

The NHS Information Centre would be tasked with collecting data on patient experience and outcomes at different practices.

'Once that's been verified and benchmarked a range of providers can purchase that and present it in a way that's understandable to patients,' he said.

Mr Simmonds also declined to pledge to abide by pay advice from the Doctors' and Dentists' Review Body (DDRB).

'Of course we'll listen to the review body,' he said, 'but that doesn't mean we're always going to agree ... It'll be a matter for the chancellor of the exchequer to make those decisions.'

Shadow chancellor George Osbsorne has already pledged a pay freeze for public sector staff earning over £18,000 a year.

GPC chairman Dr Laurence Buckman warned against over-ruling DDRB advice. 'If we're going to have to abide by what the review body does, we expect everybody else to as well.'