An overhaul of family doctor services is desperately needed to tackle the 155 million working days lost to illness, the CBI has said.

In a report, Just What The Patient Ordered, it says restricted opening times, difficulty in booking appointments and the "limited" services on offer in many GP surgeries cost the economy more than £1bn a year.

CBI deputy director-general, John Cridland, says: “We need a GP service that fits around people's lives, offering convenience and flexibility."

The CBI wants it made easier for patients to change GP, the option of registering at more than one surgery and more services available at pharmacists and walk-in centres.