GP surgeries are on the edge of collapse, MPs warn

GP surgeries across the South West are teetering on the edge of collapse, MPs have warned, as overstretched doctors face a perfect storm of soaring demand, crumbling buildings and chronic underfunding.

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Some practices are now considering cutting opening hours or even shutting altogether.

In a Westminster Hall debate on Wednesday, June 25, MPs from across the political spectrum painted a stark picture of rural healthcare in crisis. One doctor in Minehead reportedly cares for 11,000 patients single-handedly - a workload described as "simply unacceptable and unsustainable".

Brian Mathew, Liberal Democrat MP for the area, quoted a local GP who said that without "significant improvement in GP contract payments, they may be forced to close practices part-time or even permanently.

He warned that rising costs, such as National Insurance contributions and inflation, have wiped out any funding increases. "Partner income remains lower than it was two years ago," he said. "It is little more than that of salaried GPs, making reappointment difficult."