Primary care is strongest in the south west of England – and weakest in the south east, according to a new analysis.

The south west region has significantly more GPs, employing significantly more clinical staff, per head of population than other regions, according to the Health Service Journal analysis.

The numbers may reflect the ageing population of the south west – but show 72 clinical staff working in practices for every 100,000 people. This compares with 34 in London, 52 in the south east and 51 in the north west.

According to the analysis, the south west has 54 GPs for every 100,000 people compared with 46 in the east and the south east, the regions with the lowest numbers.

The journal says that the relative strength of the south west and weakness of the south east is also reflected in staffing numbers within integrated care systems. According to the analysis, the Midlands has the best resources primary care – with 19 clinical staff directly employed by PCNs for every 100,000 people. In the south west this stands at 16 and in the south east at 12.

Royal College of GPs chair Professor Martin Marshall told the journal: “The government has pledged 26,000 members of the wider practice team, excluding nurses, alongside its promise of 6,000 more GPs by 2024.

“We simply do not have enough GPs, nurses or other members of the wider practice team to manage the ever-growing need for care, and unfortunately, as these figures show, patients in some areas are being impacted more than others.

“The government is not on track to meet its target of 6,000 GPs by 2024 – indeed numbers of fully qualified, full-time equivalent GPs are falling. And whilst progress in meeting its target of 26,000 members of the practice team is better, it is still slow and there are issues with retention that need to be addressed.”