Investigation reveals only one in five GPs in England works full-time, with just 11% of younger doctors doing so, down from 19% in 2019. Millions of patients face 10-day waits for routine appointments as experienced GPs consider leaving the profession, citing stress and burnout.
An investigation has revealed that only one in five general practitioners (GPs) in England now works full-time, with a mere 11 per cent of younger doctors aged 30 to 40 working the equivalent of a full week.
This represents a significant drop from 19 per cent in 2019. In real terms, just 7,314 of England's 39,044 NHS GPs, excluding trainees and locums, now work full-time. The trend appears to have accelerated after the Covid pandemic, despite ongoing challenges with patient access, as the average wait for a routine appointment remains at 10 days.
The decline is particularly stark among younger doctors, many of whom are reportedly seeking supplementary income through locum shifts, private healthcare roles, medical tutoring, and consultancy work due to high levels of stress and burnout. Online forums, such as Reddit, feature posts from medics describing the intense NHS workload and their pursuit of alternative employment to cope.
In contrast, around a third of GPs over 60 still work full-time, a proportion that has remained stable since the pandemic. These shifts occur as millions of Britons struggle to secure timely GP care; before the pandemic, 42 per cent of appointments were same-day, and 20 per cent were within two to seven days.
A Royal College of GPs poll found nearly a third of GPs do not expect to be in general practice by 2030, with stress cited as the primary driver of a potential "mass exodus.
" Professor Kamila Hawthorne warned the situation is "precarious" and requires urgent action. It has been suggested that if every GP working three days or fewer added just one day, England could gain the equivalent of 2,000 GPs.
However, Royal College president Professor Victoria Tzortziou Brown argued that the term "part-time" is misleading, as it often only counts face-to-face clinical sessions and ignores the extensive administrative, teaching, and follow-up work that extends far beyond the consulting room. Approximately one third of GP time is spent on paperwork, reducing direct patient contact.
The data also highlights regional variations: in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, fewer than one in 10 GPs work full-time, while even in Essex, the area with the highest proportion, only 33 per cent are full-time. Although average waiting times have improved from 19 days to 10 days, millions still face difficulties obtaining face-to-face appointments. NHS England reports a 12 per cent rise in telephone appointments, which has contributed to an 8 per cent reduction in in-person consultations.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman noted the recruitment of 2,000 extra GPs since July 2024 and a £1.7bn two-year investment as part of a 10-year health plan to "fix the front door of the NHS.
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