A rise in part-time work by GPs is leading to fewer doctors seeing patients, research shows.
A study of national data shows the number of doctors and practices that cannot be reached by the growing population.
While the total number of GPs in England has risen by more than 2,000 in seven years, the drop in hours means the number of full-time equivalent GPs has fallen by more than 600.
The researchers also said the rise of other roles in surgeries – such as doctor’s associations – meant the majority of appointments would no longer be sent by GPs.
However, this threshold has been passed, according to separate, more recent data.
This July, 43.6 per cent of practice appointments were made by doctors, NHS figures show, down from 50.1 per cent in March 2022.
The new study shows that the practices are closing and merging so that there are still more cases.
Between September 2015 and September 2022, the number of GPs working in NHS general practice in England increased from 34,474 to 36,492.
But after taking into account working hours, this equates to 27,321 full-time GPs, down from 27,948.
Writing in the journal BMJ Open, a team from University College London (UCL) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) analyzed NHS data together with figures from other sources, including the Care Quality Commission, the health services regulator.
The study found the average number of GPs fell from 0.53 to 0.45 for every 1,000 patients, representing a 15 per cent decline, with the decline steeper among male doctors.
The researchers said the study did not cover all GP surgery work, such as managing correspondence, prescriptions and checking test results.
The data showed the average number of other roles in practice, such as pharmacists, social prescribers and physician associates, increased by 67 per cent.
Researchers say the findings show the number of general practices is shrinking as patient lists “balloon”.
The number of people registered with NHS GP practices in the UK increased by 11 per cent from 56,042,361 to 62,418,295 between 2013 and 2023.
At the same time, the total number of GP practices in England fell from 8,044 to 6,419 – a 20 per cent drop.
The data also shows the size of GP lists has increased, with the average practice increasing by 40 per cent from 6,967 to 9,724 patients.
‘General practice is the foundation of the NHS’
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “The NHS is broken and these findings show how much public practice is being neglected, but this government will fix it by shifting the focus of health out of hospitals and into the community.
“We have also committed to hiring an additional 1,000 GPs into the NHS by the end of this year, have announced pay rises for GPs and practice staff, and will ensure that practices have the resources they need to provide the highest quality care and patient encounters. Patient demand is increasing .”
Prof Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: “The findings of this study make it clear that we need more GPs – we need to recruit more, but most importantly we need to keep the profession longer. , delivering patient care.
“While GP workloads are increasing, both in volume and complexity, this is down to a smaller number of GPs than five years ago. In the past year, GPs and their teams have delivered an average of 30 million appointments per month – more than 4 million per month than in 2019 – while the number of full-time equivalent GPs has dropped by 601.
“General practice is the bedrock of the NHS, and GPs train for at least 10 years to become experts in providing all-round medical care, managing complex health needs in communities, and reducing pressure on other health services.
“We work in a multi-disciplinary team, and while our excellent nursing staff and other team members, such as pharmacists and physiotherapists, are highly valued, these roles are not a substitute for GPs and should not be used to close gaps in the workforce.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “The NHS is broken and these findings show how much public practice is being neglected, but this government will fix it by shifting the focus of health out of hospitals and into the community.
“We have also committed to hiring an additional 1,000 GPs into the NHS by the end of this year, have provided £311 million in GP contract funding in 24/25 – up 7.4 per cent – and will ensure they have the resources they need to provide the best care for patient.
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