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In January the BMA's Welsh GP committee voted to accept an updated pay offer, which includes a one-off £23m payment aimed at stabilising practices.

Speaking to the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme on Wednesday, Dr Alan Stout from the BMA said the figures show that the problem is "more acute in Northern Ireland".

Last month the Royal College of GPs and the BMA said some practices are freezing recruitment and scaling back on the use of temporary staff cover in the face of severe financial challenges.

The BMA has not yet formally consulted its members on taking the dispute further, such as going on strike.

But it said member surveys and motions carried at internal BMA conferences have backed considering further action.