NEARLY 500 NHS GP surgeries have shut in the past decade and turfed out 1.5million patients.
Staff shortages were a major problem for the 474 that have closed their doors since 2013, according to an investigation by Pulse magazine.
Poor areas and small surgeries have borne the brunt of the closures and many patients have to travel to other towns or villages for a new clinic.
Professor Martin Marshall, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: “General practice is struggling and it needs support.
We don’t want to see patients having to travel for miles to be able to receive GP care.”
None of the 474 that closed were replaced and many did not have another practice nearby, the investigation found.
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England had 6,503 clinics open and seeing patients in July but GPs warn they will close at faster rates unless the government and NHS boost staff numbers.
The Health Foundation think-tank found there is already a shortage of 4,200 full-time doctors and this could rise to 8,900 by 2030 – a quarter of all job posts.
Ministers pledged to hire 6,000 extra docs by 2024 but ex-Health Secretary Sajid Javid admitted they will fail to do it in time.
Dr David Wrigley, BMA England GP committee deputy chair, said: “People having access to their local practice is essential to ensure their health needs are met, and it is deeply concerning so many are seeing their practice close.
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‘’Losing your GP practice and having to move to another means losing the vital continuity of care that keeps people well, improves health outcomes and which makes general practice the bedrock of the NHS in the UK.
“For smaller practices, already on the sharp end of the workforce crisis in general practice, the loss of just a single GP has the potential to be catastrophic for a community.”