The end of the family doctor? In ten years, 474 general practitioners’ operating theaters are closing their doors, and patients are being shot –

About 500 GP surgeries have been permanently closed without replacement in the last decade, according to figures revealed in one study.

This means that around 1.5 million people are forced to travel farther for treatment as no new surgeries are opened in their postcode areas.

Research also shows that the traditional doctor-patient relationship is being lost as the average closed practice treats fewer people in the region.

Doctors Pulse magazine found that 474 clinics in the UK have been closed unchanged since 2013.

A 162 snapshot revealed that retirements, layoffs and hiring difficulties were the last straw in 42% of shutdowns.

Earlier this year, the analysis saw for the first time that half of the minor British GP cases have been closed in the last decade, but whether they have been replaced.

Pulse said that while some areas in its wider area have received primary health care, new practices are opening up much less frequently than existing ones.

The new research found that the average missed surgeries since 2013 have an average patient list of 2,738, with doctors’ offices today typically having more than 9,000 in their records.

The study also reveals that the traditional doctor-patient relationship is disappearing as the average practice treating fewer people recently (archive image)

Minor surgeries are among the most popular, according to patient satisfaction surveys.

Rachel Power, Director of the Patient Association, said: ‘Patients at many of these clinics have built a strong and important relationship with their GP over the years.

“Losing their app will mean patients have to travel to see a new primary care physician, potentially pushing more patients into the emergency room, which itself is under a lot of pressure.”

A spokesperson for the NHS said: “The NHS has invested a record amount in medical practices this year, well above the government’s target, in addition to an increase of 18,000 people since 2019.”