Record GP closures, Pulse FoI reveals

A Freedom of Investigation (FoI) request submitted by Pulse Magazine has found more than a quarter of a million patients in England were forced to move GP surgery in 2016, as a result of 58 GP closures and 34 mergers.

Pulse highlighted that despite NHS England launching a £500 million ‘turnaround package’ designed to alleviate the crisis in general practice, there has been a 150 per cent increase in the numbers of patients changing GPs compared to 2014 figures.

The changing locations has meant that in most cases patients have had to travel further and lose continuity of care they had with their GP.

Brighton was highlighted as the worst area hit, with seven GP practice closures in the past two years – including four closures that have displaced a total of almost 9,000 patients since NHS England’s support package was announced last April.

Dr Richard Vautrey, British Medical Association (BMA) GP committee deputy chair, commented: “The crisis in general practice is now impacting patients right across the country. Despite repeated and clear warnings by the BMA, a decade of underinvestment, and failure by successive governments to take the growing workload and workforce crisis seriously, has led to this situation.

“Even now, despite commitments to address this, practices are facing unacceptable and unjustified rises in premises charges which could be the last straw for some GPs and practices. We urgently need a step change in action to resolve the crisis in general practice before even more patients are impacted and more communities lose their much loved GP service.”