York gained one new NHS GP over the last year, figures show

NHS England figures show that there were 240 full-time GPs in the NHS Vale of York area in the year to the end of May this year, up from 239 in June last year.

Of these 240, 48 were in training, 120 were GP partners and 72 were salaried GPs.

GP surgery rankings, Average Ratings Per City (Google Reviews) and How this Compares to CQC Ratings Picture: Simpson Millar

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The Vale of York GP workforce is older than elsewhere in England, as 12 of these 240 GPs – five per cent – were under 30 years old, in comparison to the eight per cent average.

Despite this, as previously reported in The Press, private Stonegate Medical Clinic is the fourth best surgery in England, according to a study by law firm Simpson Millar, with York as a city ranking as the fourth best in England.

Dr Daniel Kimberling, Medical Director & Director of Clinical Service Delivery, Nimbuscare, said: “It's not a surprise to hear these figures. We have known for some time that there is a serious shortage of GPs across the country, with some areas suffering more than others.

“York is an attractive place to come to live and work so the situation is not as bad as in other areas.

“We’re also offering financial support and bursaries to support young people to go to medical school and we're supporting them throughout this training as part of a mentoring scheme.

“In addition, our GP practices are appointing other clinicians to work alongside GPs who can support the GP Practice team.”

Across England, there is currently a shortage of around 4,200 full time GPs, according to the Health Foundation’s REAL (Research and Economic Analysis) Centre.

The Foundation say that this shortage could rise to around 10,700 by 2030, meaning half of GP posts could be vacant.

They estimate that this shortfall could be doubled further due to GPs leaving the profession due to burnout.

Dr Kimberling explained to The Press why the GP profession is experiencing this shortfall.

He said: “We are not producing enough doctors and there is a shortage of UK doctors choosing to do General Practice.

“The areas with the greatest need seem to get the least resources – the average is 60 doctors to 100,000 people. There is no simple solution but more needs to be done.

“The number of GPs right across the country has stagnated for the last decade and despite a number of commitments by Government to increase these numbers, they have not been able to do that.

“We are also seeing an increase in demand and an increase in complexity. This is why patients are not able to get an appointment with a GP as quickly as they would like.”