Overview
- The share of licensed GPs absent from NHS general practice rose from 27% in 2015 to 34% in 2024 by headcount, and from 41% to 52% by full‑time equivalent.
- For every five additional GPs licensed between 2015 and 2024, NHS general practice lost one full‑time equivalent GP each year on average.
- Accounting for population growth, patients per full‑time equivalent GP increased 15% to 2,260 by end‑2024, while patients per consultant fell 18% to 1,092.
- The gap is greatest among female and younger GPs and in London and the South East, with many new qualifiers not entering or leaving within 10 years.
- The government cites more than 2,000 extra GPs in the past year and a record headcount in July 2025, as BMJ notes FTE GP numbers have risen since January 2025 and the study’s observational limits preclude causal claims.