Rate Your PCT survey, the first to let GPs overburdened by monitoring hold a mirror up to NHS managers, found that just 15% had confidence in their PCT or primary care organisation (PCO).

The findings follow criticism last week of target-driven, inappropriate management at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.

The survey, conducted between October 2009 and January 2010, attracted 1,655 responses from GPs, practice managers and other practice staff. A total of 73% of GPs who responded had no confidence in their trust.

In total, 85% of GPs rated their trust's overall performance as ‘fair' or ‘poor', and ratings across a range of key areas, including financial management, leadership and commissioning, were damning.

The survey reveals an alarming picture of clinical disaffection and mistrust. Dedicated individual trust staff are shown as powerless against an inflexible system, with rapid employee turnover, top-down commands and a focus on imported models.

The DoH will consult on recommendations from the Francis inquiry into Mid Staffordshire that senior managers should be subject to a professional body with disciplinary powers.

Respondents to Rate Your PCT were most damning about managers' ability to commission services effectively.

Editor's blog: How do you rate your PCT and what do you think of our survey results?

• Go to healthcarerepublic.com/rateyourpct for all the stories from the survey. Next week we look at the results by strategic health authority area. Discuss the results in our forum at healthcarerepublic.com/forums. Check out reaction on Twitter at #rateyourpct.