The number of full time equivalent GPs in England fell by 2% last year, reflecting the growing crisis in the profession, according to new figures.

Practices have also seen reductions in administrative and other staff – but increases in nurses, according to the figures.

The analysis shows the equivalent of 34,100 full-time GPs in England last year compared with 34,700 in 2014.

The use of locums boosted last year’s figures to 34,600.

In contrast practices increased their nursing staff by 2.2% – reaching 15,400 full-time equivalent nurses.

There was a 0.5% reduction in administration and non-clinical staff, leaving a total of 63,700, according to the Health and Social Care Information Centre figures.

There was also a 1.4% reduction in other direct patient care staff, such as physiotherapists and pharmacists – to 9,150, the figures show.

Professor Nigel Mathers, secretary of the Royal College of GPs, said the reduction in the workforce was “incredibly serious” in the light of the UK’s growing and ageing population.

He said: “General practice is the bedrock of the health service. We keep the NHS sustainable and our patients safe, so it’s vital that we have enough GPs and practice team members to do so for years to come.”

And Dr Richard Vautrey, deputy chair of the British Medical Association’s GP committee, said: “It is deeply worrying that at a time of escalating patient demand, especially from an ageing population, there has been a decrease in the number of GPs and staff focused on delivering patient care.

“The public is already seeing the impact of this in their local GP practice, with many struggling to provide enough appointments.”