SHORTAGES of doctors mean the average GP in England has to care for 17% more patients than nine years ago, a BBC analysis shows.
It means for every permanent GP there are more than 2,300 patients – a jump of nearly 350 since 2015, helping explain why access to general practice has been worsening and patient satisfaction declining.
The analysis looked at the number of permanent GPs, excluding locums and trainees.
The areas with the most patients per GP were:
- Thurrock – 3,431
- Leicester – 3,262
- Blackburn with Darwen – 3,218
- Luton and Milton Keynes – 3,033
- Portsmouth – 3,010
This compared with Wirral and Stockport, which both have fewer than 1,850.
