GP leaders hit out in dismay as the latest figures showed no significant improvement in the number of doctors working in their field.

The NHS Digital figures show 46 fewer doctors working as GPs at the end of March compared with the beginning of January

However practices gained marginally more doctor time – as the number of full-time equivalent GPs increased by 36.

Both figures represent changes of about 0.1% on the total number of some 40,039 GPs.

NHS Digital describes its numbers as experimental and has been seeking to get accurate figures for the number of doctors working as GP locums.

Royal College of GPs chair Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard said: “Of course any rise in GP numbers is encouraging, and we are seeing a small rise since the last figures in December – but we are still way off GP Forward View target, and indeed since September last year these figures show a drop of 381 GPs, which is a serious concern.

“Workload in general practice is soaring – 16% over the last seven years according to the latest research – yet our workforce has not risen in step, and is now actually reducing. This isn’t acceptable.

“The new government, whatever it looks like, must prioritise the recruitment of new GPs, the retention of existing GPs and make it easier for qualified GPs to return to the profession after a career break if we are to continue delivering the care our patients need and deserve.”

Dr Krishna Kasaraneni, who leads on GP training for the British Medical Association, said: “These figures demonstrate the failure of politicians to uphold their pledges to deliver the GPs necessary to provide the number of appointments and sustainable service that patients deserve. The overall number of GPs working in England has dropped since 2015, which leaves the NHS a considerable distance short of the current targets for the GP workforce.

“There is little prospect of the promised 5,000 additional GPs materialising any time soon.

“This continued workforce crisis has left many GP practices unable to properly staff their surgeries at a time when local services are struggling to cope with rising patient demand and flat-lining budgets.”