ONE surgery in Winsford has more than 6,000 patients and just one registered GP, NHS figures have revealed.

Willow Wood Surgery is one of seven practices across Winsford and Middlewich, with figures released for all of them.

The British Medical Association said large disparities in GP to patient ratios throughout England are ‘wholly unacceptable’ and called on the Government to address the longstanding issues.

NHS Digital figures show 52,949 patients were registered at the seven GP practices across both towns at the end of January – along with the equivalent of 37 GPs.

This means if the patients were equally spread, each GP would be dealing with an average of 1,431 patients.

However, the figures vary drastically across the seven GP surgeries, according to data released this month, but taken at the end of January.

Willow Wood Surgery has the worst ratio in the area with a total of 6,654 patients registered and just the one GP.

This was followed by High Street Street Practice, Winsford, which has 6,602 patients and two GPs, giving a ratio of 3,301.

Another Winsford practice, Launceston Close Surgery has 5,304 patients and three GPs, giving a ratio of 1,768.

The remaining four practices across the patch are: 

  • Waters Edge Medical Centre, Middlewich (4,692 patients to three GPs, giving a ratio of 1,564)
  • Swanlow Medical Centre, Winsford (10,451 patients to nine GPs, giving a ratio of 1,161)
  • Oaklands Surgery, Middlewich (11,178 patients to 11 GPs, giving a ratio of 1,016)
  • The Weaver Vale Surgery, Winsford (8,068 patients to eight GPs, giving a ratio of 1,768)

In response to the data, a spokesperson for NHS Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group said: “GP practices staff their surgeries with a mixture of healthcare professionals to meet the needs of their patients. Typically, this includes not only GPs, but practice nurses, nurse practitioners and others.

“In recent years, a national programme has led to the addition of pharmacists, physiotherapists, physician associates and paramedics to local teams alongside new roles such as care co-ordinators. The aim is to help people access the best-placed professional to meet their care needs in the most timely way.

“Although the NHS Digital figures don’t fully reflect local employment models and use of locum staffing, in Cheshire we continue to work with all our member GP practices around recruitment and retention of GPs.”

Professor Martin Marshall, chairman of The Royal College of GPs, said: “GPs want to be able to consistently give their patients the care they deserve, no matter where they live.

“But the increased workload expected of GPs and their teams while their numbers fail to increase at the necessary pace, is unsustainable.”

Along with hiring more GPs, he said plans are also needed to keep experienced GPs in the workforce for longer.

The Department of Health and Social Care said there were more than 1,600 more full-time doctors in December 2021 than two years previously, with a record-breaking number starting training last year.

A spokesman said: “We have invested £520 million to improve and expand GP capacity during the pandemic.”