GP surgeries across the South West are on the brink of collapse, MPs have warned, as overburdened doctors grapple with soaring demand, deteriorating facilities, and chronic underfunding. Faced with these challenges, some practices are contemplating reduced hours or even permanent closure.
In a Westminster Hall debate on June 25, MPs from various parties highlighted the dire state of rural healthcare. One Minehead doctor reportedly manages 11,000 patients alone—a workload described as “simply unacceptable and unsustainable.”
Brian Mathrew, Liberal Democrat MP for the area, cited a local GP’s warning that without substantial improvements in GP contract payments, surgeries may be forced to close part-time or entirely. He emphasized that rising costs—such as national insurance and inflation—have effectively erased any funding gains. “Partner income remains lower than two years ago,” he noted, “barely surpassing salaried GPs and making recruitment increasingly difficult.”
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Adam Dance, Liberal Democrat MP for Yeovil, added weight to these concerns. “GPs are the front door of our health service, especially in rural districts, and they are stretched beyond limits,” he said. Nearly 25% of Somerset patients currently wait more than two weeks for an appointment, with over 7% waiting beyond 28 days. “That is unacceptable,” he asserted.
Dance also highlighted wider systemic issues affecting access to care, including inadequate public transport and an NHS dentistry crisis that forces patients to seek dental help from GPs due to lack of alternatives.
Conservative MP Sir Ashley Fox, representing Bridgwater, reported constituents struggling to secure appointments and warned that inflation and rising costs could consume any extra government funding.
Minister for Care Stephen Kinnock acknowledged the South West’s unique challenges—such as an ageing population, remote communities, and longstanding health inequalities—but stressed that reforms and investments are in progress. He noted a £102 million fund allocated for GP facility upgrades and a planned 13% increase in primary care funding for the region next year.
Kinnock also confirmed a review of the outdated Carr-Hill funding formula, long criticized for shortchanging deprived and rural areas. “There are clearly major imbalances in how the system operates,” he admitted.
Edward Morello, Liberal Democrat MP for West Dorset, described many GP buildings as so outdated they predate the NHS itself. He called the situation a “major drain on productivity” demanding urgent investment.
Rachel Gilmour, Liberal Democrat MP for Tiverton and Minehead, highlighted the alarming shortage of doctors in her constituency. “In Minehead, one GP serves 11,000 people,” she said. “Rural premium or not, this is simply unacceptable.”
While the government promises more flexibility in GP contracts and additional roles for newly qualified doctors, MPs insist the South West requires immediate, targeted support—not just commitments.
As Adam Dance summarized, “Without our dedicated GPs, there is no future for our NHS.”