ONE in three GPs in the North-East and North Yorkshire are considering retirement within the next five years, according to a shock new survey.

The figures confirm the worst fears of North-East doctors’ leaders.

There are also major concerns that nearly a third of the places on the North-East GP vocational training scheme have not been filled.

In February Dr John Canning, secretary of the Cleveland Local Medical Committee warned that the the Government needed to take urgent action to head off a looming crisis in the region’s health service.

The latest statistics are from the British Medical Association’s survey of 15,560 GPs across the UK.

They show that 33 per cent of GPs in the North of England said they intended to retire in the next five years, almost identical to the figure for England (34 per cent).

The BMA said the figures call into question the feasibility of election pledges from political parties promising to dramatically increase the number of GPs.

The increasing workload faced by GPs is reflected in this factor being ranked as the most important reason why many GPs are thinking of quitting.

A total of 71 per cent of North of England GPs mentioned workload issues as the main reason to make them consider retiring early, the same as the percentage for England as a whole.

Another major negative issue mentioned by 52 per cent of North of England GPs was what the BNA called the inappropriate and unresourced transfer of work into general practice.

Another 41 per cent of Northern GP were unhappy at having insufficient time with each patient and constant changes to contracts and working arrangements.

Responding to the new survey Dr Canning said: “What I find unbelievable is how anybody thinks they are going to staff a service seven days a week from eight until eight without the doctors to do it.”

Dr Canning said the retirement crisis could get even worse because of changes to the Budget which could encourage GPs to retire earlier.

Now retired from full-time practice Dr Canning said what was worrying was that his practice had not had a single application to replace him.

Dr George Rae, chairman of the North-East BMA Council said: “These figures mean big trouble for patients, big trouble for the Health Service and big trouble for the next Government.”

He said only about 70 per cent of the 140 vocational training scheme places for new GPs had been taken up in the North-East.