Patients 'skipping GP appointments over fees'

"There's a lot of pressure on primary care and any healthcare provider to continue to provide quality services at the same level," he said.

"It would cost more anyway because of medical inflation, but on top of that, there's increasing demand from the public for services.

"So in other words we have higher numbers coming through primary care and secondary care with more complex medical conditions that need ongoing treatment."

Roberts warned delaying medical treatment often "made things worse".

"That is with the existing costs of seeing the doctor and getting an ambulance," he said.

"It stands to reason that as these [costs] go up, and if those increases aren't matched by people's living standards and earning capacity, then the problem is only going to get worse."