North-South divide in GP numbers

Analysis by public health experts in Manchester points to a North-South divide in numbers of GPs that dates back to before the NHS was created, remaining “severe” 64 years later.

Large parts of the South have more family doctors than the national average, while the North has considerably fewer, according to the report for MPs on the Commons health select committee.

The report says the inequity is likely to contribute to variations in the quality of GP services and suggests it could damage the effectiveness of new GP clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) which will take responsibility for NHS spending worth £65bn from April under the Government’s controversial NHS reforms.

It claims London has 573 more GPs than the national average, while the South-West has 352. In contrast, the North-West has 620 fewer doctors than average, with Yorkshire facing a shortfall of 227.

Sheffield has 35 more than average and North Yorkshire 38 more GPs – but Hull is in the bottom 10 of 151 areas in England, with 44 fewer family doctors than average. Overall 11 out of 14 areas in the region have fewer GPs than the national average.

The report calculates the five southernmost regions of the NHS had 22 per cent more GPs in 2010 than the five northernmost regions covering the North and the Midlands.

It adds: “The chronic shortage of GPs in most poor health areas will serve to further disadvantage deprived communities as their over-stretched GPs are given additional responsibilities for commissioning and budgeting.”

Research suggests additional central funding should be made available to provide more GPs in areas where there are shortages as well as greater incentives for family doctors to work there.

It blames many of the problems on the distribution of GPs prior to the formation of the NHS when they tended to work in more affluent areas where they preferred to live and could earn a better living.

GP Tony Banerjee, chairman of the NHS Hull CCG, said: “Hull has been an under-doctored city for quite some time and it has traditionally struggled to recruit GPs to the area. In reality, you can be a good GP wherever you practise, and this shouldn’t be taken as a reflection of the quality of service provided by our doctors.”

He said major efforts had been made to attract more GPs to the area including the recruitment of Spanish doctors, while millions had been invested in bringing four new GP practices to the city in areas where access was known to be limited.

“It is encouraging to see that this investment is paying dividends and our levels of overall patient satisfaction with GP services here in Hull are comparable to those in other parts of our region including the East Riding.

“In addition, despite living in an under-doctored area, Hull patients are still more satisfied with some key aspects of their service than those in more affluent parts of our region, such as satisfaction with GP surgery opening hours.”