One GP covers 1m patients out of hours

ALMOST one million people have been left with just one GP to cover out- of- hours emergencies, an NHS whistleblower has claimed.

A chronic shortage of doctors is thought to have caused the lack of overnight medical cover on three nights last month in East Anglia.

Staff claim services are “on the brink” as shift pay of up to £ 1,000 a day fails to attract new locums.

The source has alleged that emergency cover provided by private health firm IC24 is “not a safe service”.

Norman Lamb, Lib Dem MP for North Norfolk, said: “This is potentially about life and death. If these issues are true then that’s not acceptable and they have to be resolved.”

Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of the British Medical Association’s GP committee, said the figures “highlight the reality of the workforce crisis facing general practice”.

IC24 was unavailable for comment yesterday.