A THIRD of GP partners in the region have been unable to fill staff vacancies in the past year leading to patient safety risks, new figures show.
In a survey by the British Medical Association (BMA), 3,567 GP partners (GPs who oversee and run practices in England) were asked whether they had been able to fill vacancies and if they were, how long it took.
Results showed almost a third of GP partners, 31 per cent, have been unable to fill vacancies in the last 12 months and a further one in five, 18 per cent, stated it takes between three and six months to recruit to a vacancy.
In the West Midlands, 35 per cent of GPs have been unable to fill vacancies in the last 12 months, the highest number in England, along with the East of England.
Only 13 per cent of GPs in the West Midlands have not had the need to recruit to fill a vacancy.
The results, released last week, showed patient safety was being put at risk by unmanageable levels of workload in general practice.
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA GP committee chair, said: “These chronic shortages come despite government promises at the last election to recruit 5,000 more GPs, a pledge that has failed to materialise.
“As these figures demonstrate, those practices with long term vacancies are also those struggling with unmanageable workload, leaving many GP services struggling to provide even basic care to their community.”
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