GP VACANCY RATES MORE THAN TRIPLE IN LONDON IN LAST FOUR YEARS

9.47.52am GMT Tue 20th Jan 2004

Simon Hughes will challenge Ministers on their record of GP recruitment in London

Liberal Democrat London Mayoral candidate Simon Hughes MP will later today (Tuesday 20th January 2004) challenge Health Minister John Reid on new figures that show the number of GP vacancies in London has more than tripled in the last four years.

The figures released in a Parliamentary answer to Mr Hughes shows that in 2000, there were 143 GP vacancies in the capital. By 2003, this figure had rocketed to 459 an increase of 221%. South East and North East London were hit hardest with rises more than trebling in the number of GP vacancies.

Simon Hughes said:-

"There is a clear trend where qualified GPs do not want to come to London. There may well be an increase in facilities and surgeries, but they are of little use without the qualified staff to work in them. This leads to more gaps in provision of services and more GP lists being closed to new patients.

"Many new qualified GPs are not coming to work in London because with huge debts to pay off, they don't stand a chance of getting on the property ladder.

"Ministers, the Boroughs and the Mayor must make a concerted effort to attract more qualified health staff into London. Without this, many of the most vulnerable in the Capital will be left without a GP to provide the basic primary care they need."

ENDS

Notes to editor

Figures are taken from Parliamentary answer 137366, Hansard 11 Nov 2003 : Column 266W

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the general practitioner vacancy (a) rate and (b) number was in each English region in each year

For the full figures - please cut and paste the below link:-

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/cgi-bin/ukparl_hl?DB=ukparl&STEMMER=en&WORDS=J1137366+&COLOUR=Red&STYLE=s&URL=/pa/cm200203/cmhansrd/cm031111/text/31111w27.htm#31111w27.html_wqn4

Mr Hughes has Health question number 6 to Dr Reid:-

Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey): How many general practitioner vacancies there are in London; and when he expects Greater London to have sufficient GPs to meet residents' needs.

Figures released in September 2003 by the Liberal Democrats showed that 1 in 3 London NHS GPs are currently unable to take on new patients.

The survey, by Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on London Health, Paul Burstow MP, also revealed that of 100 NHS GPs surgeries across London who were surveyed, 53% were either presently closed to new patients or had been in the last 12 months.

According to the London Modernisation Board website:-

"The NHS Plan target of an additional 2000 GPs by 2004 means at least and approximately an additional 300 GPs in London, over and above those retiring."

http://www.london.nhs.uk/modernising/GPRecruitment.htm

There are around 5,000 GPs in London. In June 2003, the GLA highlighted that there were around 350, or around 7% vacancies in London. http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/reports/health/gp_recruitment.pdf