City hit hard by shortage of GPs, survey reveals

Hull among worst affected in England

SOME AREAS of England are having to get by with half the number of GPs for their population compared to others, analysis of NHS figures shows.

The Royal College of GPs has warned that while there is a national shortage of GPs, some areas “face greater difficulties” recruiting much-needed staff.

The Nuffield Trust, which published the analysis, said the “stark differences” show NHS failings.

NHS Hull CCG is the area in Yorkshire that is the most stretched for GP cover and the third worst in the country.

The statistics show there are 128.6 GPs and 306,959 patients, which equates to 41.9 GPs per 100,000 people. Portsmouth was the lowest with 39.5 GPs per 100,000 patients.

Doncaster CCG and the East Riding of Yorkshire CCG were the next areas of the region to be worst affected, with figures showing they have 55.3 and 55.9 GPs per 100,000 people respectively.

In contrast, The Wirral was the area that had the most GPs to serve its population with 80.7 GPs per 100,000 patients.

North Yorkshire was the local

CCG to have the most GPs. The county has 306.5 GPs and 436,882 patients making it 70.2 GPs per 100,000 people.

The Vale of York CCG has 242.7 GPs for a population of 368,835 people which is 65.8 GPs per 100,000 people.

Nuffield Trust Senior Fellow Billy Palmer said: “These disparities mean people in some areas are less able to access their family doctor than people elsewhere.

“In an NHS founded on the principle of equal treatment, such stark differences represent a serious failing.”

Prof Martin Marshall, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: “The size of the fully qualified GP workforce is falling while the number of patients continues to grow. As a result, the ratio of patients to GPs has increased significantly over recent years.

“While this is happening across the country, some regions are being affected worse than others as they face greater difficulties recruiting new GPs and other staff.”

He called on the Government to “make good on its manifesto promise of 6,000 more full-time equivalent GPs” by 2024.

He said: “GPs want to be able to consistently give their patients the care they deserve, no matter where they live in the country, but the intense workload and workforce pressures facing general practice are unsustainable.”

Leeds has 909,888 people and 544.9 GPs, so 59.9 per 100,000 people. Bradford District and Craven has 407.7 GPs, 650,290 residents and 62.7 GPs per 100,000 while Sheffield has 384 GPs for a population of 618,718 and 62.2 GPs per 100,000 people.