GP practice closures could affect nearly one million Londoners

Nearly one million Londoners could face losing their GP as increased workforce pressures are leading to practice closures, Londonwide LMCs has warned.

A survey conducted by Londonwide LMCs found that 49 per cent of London GP practices currently have a staff vacancy, with 31 per cnet having at least one GP vacancy.

The average vacancy length, after a doctor leaves a practice, was found to be over eight months, highlighting the current recruitment struggles in general practice. In addition to recruitment issues, 44 per cent of practices said they have GPs planning to retire within the next three years, which stands to further exacerbate the problem.

Half of practices told Londonwide LMCs that financial uncertainty about the future of the general practice model is preventing staff recruitment, with low morale (45 per cent) and pay (43 per cent) also key factors.

19 of the 644 practices surveyed said that they are planning to terminate their contract work to provide GP services within the next three years, which would affect 116,491 patients. A further 109 practices, representing 802,383 patients, said that they had not ruled out termination as an option.

Kensington and Chelsea and Barnet look to be the worst affected boroughs, and could stand to lose five and four practices respectively.

Dr Michelle Drage, chief executive of Londonwide LMCs, said: “Half our practices are short of a member of staff, a third are missing at least one GP and 128 practices, covering over 900,000 patients can’t rule out handing back the keys within three years. Hero GPs are working flat out to cover the gaps, but they’re at breaking point and need real support to keep caring for our growing city, and the growing complexity of its health needs.

“With junior doctors increasingly reluctant to take on the challenges of general practice, and many leaving the country in the face of the new contracting debacle, London's general practice future looks decidedly gloomy, delivering current service with fewer staff is unsustainable and unsafe in the long term. Let alone for extended seven day services.

"Until financial stability is secured and the low morale of existing staff is improved there is little prospect of the junior doctors currently coming through the ranks being the saviours. The oft-quoted influx of 5,000 new GPs seem less and less likely with every day that passes.

"Our general practices are the hub of the NHS - providing for 90 per cent of patients' needs on a paltry eight percent of its budget - and falling. To secure the future of general practice for the citizens of London we need more resource and more support. And we need it now, before it is too late"