Five million could be left without a GP in surgery closure crisis
- 10% of GPs in England claim their practice is at risk of closing in next year
- If they closed, more than five million patients would need a new doctor
- GPs blamed lack of staff, lack of funds and workload for their pessimism
Ben Spencer, Medical Correspondent For The Daily Mail
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One in ten GPs in England claim their practice is at risk of closing in the next 12 months because of underfunding or staffing problems, polling suggests.
If 10 per cent of surgeries closed, more than five million patients would be left looking for a new family doctor.
Closures are already at record levels, with 201 practices having shut their doors last year.
One in ten GPs in England claim their practice is at risk of closing in the next 12 months because of underfunding or staffing problems, polling suggests. File image
But the new research, by GP Online magazine, suggests that another 750 may close in the coming months.
The magazine, which polled 298 GPs, found that 10 per cent believe their surgery will close in the coming year. They blamed a lack of staff, a lack of funds and mounting workload for their pessimism.
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Many more GPs are aware of struggling practices in their local area – 41 per cent of respondents said they knew a neighbouring practice at risk of closure.
If 10 per cent of surgeries closed, more than five million patients would be left looking for a new family doctor. File image
The closure of one in 10 of the 7,500 GP practices in England – which have an average list size of around 7,000 – would affect 5.25million patients.
The findings echo BMA research among 3,000 surgeries earlier this year which found 10 per cent were financially unsustainable.
A Department of Health spokesman said: ‘This self-selected survey has no concrete basis.’
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