Doctors and their leaders yesterday accused the government of holding "a gun to their heads" over a deal to open GP surgeries at evenings and weekends.

Doctors and their leaders yesterday accused the government of holding "a gun to their heads" over a deal to open GP surgeries at evenings and weekends.

Thousands of Scots will gain out-of-hours access to their family doctors from April onwards, after ministers offered an extra £9.5m to cover the cost.

But GPs and their representatives claim that the UK Government did not properly negotiate with GPs over the terms of two alternative "offers" it has made to them.

The British Medical Association (BMA) claims doctors have effectively been presented with an ultimatum - a straight choice between two deals which are impractical, inadequately funded and likely to reduce the average GP's earnings by at least £6000.

A BMA Scotland spokeswoman said: "Doctors are being given a choice of two offers - one bad, another worse, neither of which have been negotiated.

"Scottish GPs recognise that some patients want more flexible opening hours and they are keen to discuss these. But the terms of the deal are not tailored to the needs of Scottish patients.

"Doctors are concerned that the majority of patients could have their service ruined for the sake of a minority."

The drive for flexible opening hours is aimed at helping patients whose work makes it difficult to get to the doctor during normal working hours, and ministers hope it can reduce pressure on A&E wards and the telephone service NHS 24.

It is thought the average practice would open for around three extra hours a week. It would be up to doctors to determine which days.

Patients' groups and workers welcomed the move, saying it would give people the chance to fit trips to the doctor around a busy working life.

But the BMA is concerned that extended opening will cause impracticalities which cannot be overcome by the levels of extra funding on the table. It also fears the consequences of a "one size fits all" policy which could have negative effects in rural practices or those with a high proportion of elderly patients.

In the event that doctors reject the deal, the UK Government has already outlined it will impose an alternative deal in England, which could see some GPs lose out on even more "quality points" - payments for meeting certain standards and criteria.

The Scottish Government has begun negotiating with the Scottish General Practitioners' Committee to insert flexibility in the two alternative deals for Scottish GPs. But many doctors feel the negotiations are too little too late.

Dr Mary Church, a GP in Blantyre, said: "£9.5m is not a lot of money - it will only cover a small proportion of the extra costs of keeping a surgery open longer hours.

"But the real reason GPs are so upset is the way this so-called offer' has been made - it was not negotiated. It's not that GPs wouldn't be prepared to have more flexible opening hours It's that we are being asked with a gun to our heads."

BMA Scotland will now survey its member GPs, before deciding whether or not to accept the government's first offer. A decision is expected by the end of February.