Spanish to fill GP shortage

Dr Xavier Palacin is one of the new recruits working in Southend

A shortage of GPs has forced health chiefs in Essex and Northamptonshire to look to Europe for recruits.

Essex will soon have more than 16 Spanish doctors on its books while Northamptonshire is looking to Italy to solve its recruitment problems.

According to surgery managers there are too many patients to be seen by doctors, with GP vacancy rates at 3.5 % in some southern English counties.

Health expert, Professor Amanda Howe of the University of East Anglia's medical school, said: "People are retiring earlier than they used to or going part time.

"On top of that there has been a problem recruiting into general practice because traditionally it has not been a popular discipline."

One of Norfolk's largest surgeries, based at Taverham in Norwich, has 13,000 patients.

It has two GP vacancies, one of which has been unfilled for the last 18 months.

Practice managers find it increasingly difficult to recruit GPs

Practice manager Scott McKenzie said if new GPs could not be found then they may have to start turning away new patients.

"The last time we advertised we didn't get any responses at all.

"If a successful practice in an attractive area of the country cannot attract applicants it just shows how problematic the issue is."

Dr Brian Balmer, who works for the NHS in Essex, has been given £1m to help recruit new doctors to supply GPs to surgeries.

He said: "At the moment we are recruiting from Spain while other areas are looking at different countries."