Only a quarter of new GPs are working full time, according to a report that explains why significant increases in trainee numbers are failing to solve the doctor shortage.

The Nuffield Trust report calls for fresh ideas to tackle NHS staffing shortages, including student loan repayment. According to the Nuffield Trust, the huge increase in part time working means that it takes two GP trainees to fill one full time GP post – leading to increases in trainee numbers having little impact on shortages. Trust researchers found a steep slump in recent years in the proportion of new GPs willing to work full time – from 75% in 2016 to 25% last year.

The result was that despite significant increases in GP trainees, the number of new fully qualified GPs last year increased by just 8%, the lowest rate in six years. The researchers also found a significant drop off in doctors staying in the NHS after the completion of foundation training. They found that, according to the latest data, 70% of doctors in 2021 took a break after foundation training – compared with 34% in 2012. The length of the break seems to be increasing also, the Trust said. It found that out of 10,273 doctors who began core training in 2018 24% left the NHS in England within two years.

The report says the NHS is increasingly reliant on overseas trained doctors to fill GP training schemes. They were responsible for 40% of trainees in 2021. The Trust says a student loan repayment scheme could play a big part in encouraging doctors – and nurses – to stay in the NHS.

Researcher Dr Billy Palmer said: “These high dropout rates are in nobody’s interest. They’re wasteful for the taxpayer, often distressing for the students and staff who leave, stressful for the staff left behind, and ultimately erode the NHS’s ability to deliver safe and high-quality care.”

Dr Victoria Tzortziou Brown, vice-chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: “There may be many reasons for GP trainees choosing to work part-time, or even leaving the profession, after qualifying, but we are extremely concerned that this is happening due to unsustainable workload pressures and need urgent action to halt this.”

A Government spokesperson said: “We’ve made significant progress in growing the workforce with record numbers of staff working in the NHS. The first ever NHS long term workforce plan, backed by over £2.4bn in government funding, will deliver the biggest expansion of staff training in NHS history, retain more talented people and harness cutting-edge technology. The current student finance system strikes the right balance between the interests of students and of taxpayers. We are working closely with NHS England to reduce student attrition rates and ensure they are supported whilst in training.”