Nearly half of GPs say they can "no longer guarantee safe care" for their patients, statistics show.
A survey of family doctors for the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has found 49% feel under so much pressure they cannot promise safe treatment, whilst 85% think general practice is "in crisis".
They say they have massive workloads due to longer surgery opening hours and an ageing population, with some dealing with up to 60 patients a day.
Harrow GP David Lloyd says it is a constant struggle to see everyone who wants an appointment.
"That's the real risk: if you've got a patient who's seriously ill who has to wait a few days to see their GP, then they may get more ill and end up in A&E, or they just don't get to see a doctor at all, so that can be unsafe."
Clare Gerada, chair of the RCGP, said: "It's now no longer at the tipping point. It has actually gone over the tipping point, and unless we do something about it, I'm afraid GPs will not be able to deliver safe patient care, and therefore the NHS will become unsustainable."
General practice currently receives only 9% of NHS funding, despite family doctors carrying out 90% of the NHS contacts.
The RCGP is calling for a 10% increase to current funding for general practice, including 10,000 more GPs - approximately one per practice - by 2022.
Some doctors say the stress is making them ill, and it may put people off joining the profession.
A Department of Health spokesperson said: "GP practices have been turned into places where it's a daily challenge for receptionists to cope with huge call volumes and GPs to get through to all the people they need to see.
"We know they need more resources and that is why we have asked Health Education England to aim at getting 50% of medical students to become GPs."
:: The survey was conducted by Research Now on behalf of the RCGP. Researchers reported on a random sample of 258 GPs across the UK 210 from England; 25 from Scotland; 14 from Wales; and nine from Northern Ireland.
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