London, November 23, 2025
A critical shortage of general practitioners (GPs) across England is endangering patient safety, as over 8,000 GPs have urgently called for government intervention amid rising demand, chronic underfunding, and unaffordable recruitment challenges in 2025.
Scope and Severity of the GP Shortage
England’s general practice sector faces a dangerous deficit of doctors, with 61% of GP practices reporting a need for at least one additional GP within the next year. Despite this urgent demand, 92% of these practices are unable to recruit new doctors due to funding shortages, according to a recent Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) survey. More than 8,000 GPs have signed a collective letter pressing the government to prioritize the training, recruitment, and retention of doctors to restore safe patient care.
This shortage means many practices have qualified doctors ready to work but lack the financial resources to hire them, directly threatening access to timely and quality healthcare for millions of patients.
NHS System Pressures and Workforce Context
The general practice crisis compounds an already overstretched National Health Service (NHS) grappling with historic demand pressures. NHS waiting lists have nearly tripled from 2.6 million in 2010 to over 7.3 million as of May 2025. This surge is partly due to the lasting effects of appointments and surgeries canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic and an aging population with increasingly complex health needs.
Further, the UK has one of the lowest per-capita doctor ratios in Europe, exacerbating workforce strain. Training bottlenecks and high competition ratios leave many trainee doctors without placement, limiting workforce growth even as demand accelerates.
Financial and Workforce Challenges
Systemic pay erosion for doctors since 2008 has intensified recruitment difficulties. Medical professionals have called for a 26% pay increase, citing years of stagnant wages amid growing workloads. The current NHS training capacity cannot meet the urgent need for new doctors, creating a bottleneck in workforce replenishment. Many doctors remain unemployed or underemployed in lower-tier roles, unable to advance their careers due to limited specialty training slots.
Risks to Patient Safety
The imbalance between rising workloads and an insufficient workforce jeopardizes patient safety. Overstretched doctors face increased risk of burnout and stress, which correlates with higher chances of medical errors and potential legal ramifications. The unsafe operating environments caused by chronic understaffing undermine the quality of care and patient outcomes, especially in general practice that serves as the frontline of England’s healthcare system.
Government Response and Outstanding Needs
While the UK Department of Health acknowledges the critical role of GPs and includes commitments in its 10-year NHS reform plan, clear execution roadmaps with adequate funding and staffing targets remain absent. The gap between policy intent and practical resourcing leaves frontline services vulnerable.
Without urgent government action to increase investment and strategically expand the healthcare workforce, patient safety risks will persist and healthcare accessibility will continue to decline amid rising demand and system pressures.
The ongoing GP shortage in England underscores one of the NHS’s most significant challenges in 2025, demanding immediate policy and financial interventions to ensure the safety and wellbeing of millions reliant on general practice care.