A BASINGSTOKE GP surgery has been named as one of the most overstretched clinics in Britain by a national newspaper.

Shakespeare Road Medical Practice in Popley Way is one of the 10 GP surgeries listed by the Daily Mail with the highest number of patients for every full-time equivalent GP.

The data collected by Daily Mail showed Shakespeare Road Medical Practice has 25,378 patients for every full-time equivalent GP, and is ranked ninth in Britain.

Alliance Teaching Practices in Coventry has more than 46,000 patients for each full-time fully qualified GP, making it the worst in the country for the ratio.

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Nationally, the patient-doctor ratio now stands at an average 2,292 — up almost a fifth on 2015, the data revealed.

The analysis does not include locum GPs, nurses or other patient-facing clinical roles including health care assistants and trainee GP assistants.

Health chiefs say the ratio of patients to every one fully qualified GP should never exceed 1,800.

The figures also revealed three-quarters of GP surgeries in England are breaching safety limits, with nearly 5,000 practices far exceeding the advised patient-doctor ratio.

Last month, the government announced a new plan to allow pharmacists to prescribe medication for common ailments. Officials hope that it will free up millions of appointments at GP surgeries.

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However, the Royal College of GPs has warned that the only true solution to the GP crisis is to increase the number of fully qualified, full-time equivalent GPs.

Reacting to the data, Shakespeare Road Medical Practice lead GP Dr Robin Harlow said: “The recruitment and retention of GPs is a key priority for primary care across the country and our practice is no different.

“Since taking on the practice last year we have successfully recruited to a number of nursing roles which play an important part in supporting our patients. Shakespeare Road Medical Practice is being run as an innovative collaboration between a number of local NHS Trusts and we are working hard to attract GPs through various schemes and initiatives.

“We would like to reassure our patients that safe and effective care is provided at the practice through our Locum GPs – which are not counted in the data – and that anyone who has a same day need will be spoken to or seen on the day.”