TWO in every five GPs in the South West have said they intend to quit within the next five years, a survey has found.

The University of Exeter surveyed more than 2,000 GPs from across the region in collaboration with the University of Bristol.

About 70 per cent of respondents indicated that they intended to change their working patterns in a way which would mean less contact with patients.

The survey was funded by the National Institute for Health Research and its findings have been published in BMJ Open.

According to researchers, the data shows low morale is widespread in the profession across the South West and Professor John Camobell, who led the research and is a practising GP, has called for “robust” action to tackle the problem.

He said: “We carried out this survey because of a nationally recognised crisis in the shortage of GPs across the country, and our findings show an even bleaker outlook than expected for GP cover, even in an area which is often considered desirable, and which has many rural communities.

“If GPs have similar intentions to leave or reduce their hours in other regions, as many are reporting, the country needs to take robust action more swiftly and urgently than previously thought.”

Between 2012 and 2014 the number of unfilled GP posts quadrupled while the number of GPs fell.

In a bid to tackle the problem the government announced measures to train 5,000 new GPs in 2015, and to increase the proportion of medical students who choose general practice as a career.

Professor Campbell added: “We know that there’s an ageing workforce in general practice, with 30 per cent of GPs being over 50 years old.

“Previous research has found that GP morale is low because of workload pressures, and many younger GPs do not want the financial risk and responsibilities of taking on a practice.

“Yet if the GPs we surveyed fulfil their intentions to leave or to cut back their patient contact, and no action is taken to address the issue, the South West will experience a severe shortfall of GPs in the next five years.

“Whilst numerous government-led initiatives are underway to address recruitment, there is a need to address the underlying serious malaise which is behind this data.

“We are in a perilous situation in England, with poor morale of the current GP workforce, and major difficulties with recruitment and retention of GPs reflected in the stark overall reduction in the GP workforce. Reactive, sticking-plaster approaches are not the answer.”

The research team sent surveys to 3,370 GPs in the South West, and received responses from 2,248. More than half (54 per cent) of respondents reported low morale.