There are now more than 1,600 patients for every GP in Bolton after numbers of doctors fell over the last year. The latest figures show that there are now the equivalent of just 207 full time GPs in the whole borough of Bolton as of this year, falling from 219 last year. This has left people struggling to access services in many cases, with the youngest and oldest age groups baring the brunt of this pressure.
Bolton and District Pensioners Association secretary Bernie Gallagher said: “I think every single person, whether in our group or not is getting a poor service.” She added: “We’ve been campaigning for better access to GPs but recently our campaign has shifted slightly to emphasising concerns about physician associates who are replacing GPs.” Every GP in Bolton is now responsible for more than 1,600 patients (Image: Newsquest) Physician associates are trained to provide care, under the supervision of a doctor, but do not have the same qualifications as a general practitioner.
The House of Commons Library figures based on NHS digital show that as of April this year of the 207 full time equivalent GPs, 139 were fully qualified while the rest were still in training. The fall in GP numbers across Bolton, even by just 12 full time equivalents GPs compared to last year, has meant a sharp rise in the average number of patients seen by every doctor. In April last year every Bolton GP was responsible for an average of 1,483 patients, which had shot up to an average of 1,.