A councillor said residents were being told GPs were unavailable during normal appointment times because of admin work.

Cllr Debbie Kaur-Thiara was speaking at a public meeting on the future of King George Hospital at Redbridge College, Little Heath, on Friday.

She said people were confused and angry about the change, which made it more difficult for them to see a doctor.

As part of the new NHS structure brought in by the 2012 Health and Social Care Act, GPs commission primary care – a job previously done by trusts.

Dr Heath Springer, a local GP as well as clinical director of Redbridge Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said the time is needed for doctors to fulfil their new responsibilities.

A spokesman for Redbridge CCG said time is set aside for GPs and nurses across the country for the “vital training”.

She added: “This helps to make sure that their skills are kept right up to date so they can deliver the very best care for their patients.

“During this time alternative arrangements are put in place with our out-of-hours doctors so that anyone needing to see a GP urgently can still do so.”