The government is “way off” target for meeting its targets for GP numbers, a leading expert has stated.

The latest monthly figures for general practice staffing continued to show a reduction in numbers of qualified GPs.

The overall number of doctors working in general practice has increased by 1% in the last year – because of improvements in recruitment to training. The number of qualified GPs has reduced by 1.9% – although between January and February the net reduction was just ten.

Ruth Rankine, director of primary care at the NHS Confederation, said the latest data was “disappointing”.

She said: “The government is way off track in its target of 6,000 more GPs by 2025, and so must be honest with the public about what general practice and primary care can actually deliver in the next few years. With a 2.8% increase in the number of patients per practice, and a 1.5% fall in the number of GP practices in total, realism is needed just as much as a boost to staff numbers. Although great progress has been made in recruiting staff via the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme in Primary Care Networks (PCNs), GPs are the bedrock of primary care.

“We know that GPs are under immense pressure with a majority saying that their job is extremely stressful. This downward trend in terms of staffing must be halted, and the workforce plan must address how this will be done, otherwise we risk this becoming a vicious circle where staff leave due to workload pressures, caused by having too few staff.”