Swindon doctors fear plans to improve the NHS could backfire, as the service looks set to become a political football.

Dr Peter Swinyard thinks the NHS should be allowed to breathe and believes too much patient choice will end in chaos.

Fellow GP Howard Thomas said money should be invested in improving local services.

Their comments follow yesterday's clash between PM Tony Blair and Conservative leader Michael Howard at Prime Minister's questions in the Commons.

Mr Blair described Tory plans to give patients a "right to choose" as a "right to charge".

The Tory leader replied that Labour policies meant more targets, more bureaucracy and more centralisation.

He said the Conservative vision hailed "an end to centralisation and targets, real freedom for doctors and nurses, and a real right to choose for patients."

Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy said what people wanted was high quality public services near where they live rather than 'a false debate about choice'.

Dr Thomas, who practises at Homeground Surgery, in Thames Avenue, said: "Regardless of the politics, the fact is 95 per cent of the Primary Care Trust population prefer to receive treatment locally.

"We are much more keen to see better quality local hospital services rather than spend money on the choice agenda. Improved local services are more important."

Dr Swinyard said: "This is just political posturing before an election and I'd rather wait for the manifestoes to come out.

"The NHS needs to stop and take a breath.

"We can do without more change at the moment.

"If we have to give someone choices in referrals it would involve GPs trying to find out about consultants to give people an informed choice an uniformed choice is no choice at all.

"The sheer logistics would be a problem. If patients are travelling far away they might not be given the necessary follow up care.

"Also it's not viable for relatives having to travel to visit patients.

"Such moves could potentially increase the workload in general practice which GPs are already worried about, or pay out more money for reception staff to do it.

"It could lead to a futile choice."

Health Minister Lord Warner yesterday announced that hospitals would face fewer visits from inspectors assessing their performance, to reduce inspection overload and the bureaucratic burden on doctors, nurses and NHS managers.

It followed plans announced by the Conservative Party earlier this week to scrap all central targets on NHS hospitals, including those for waiting lists and the star-rating system, to cut bureaucracy.

The Government's five-year plan for the NHS was due to be published today.

Alex Emery