The figures from the Royal College of GPs shows that in January 2018, there were 7,254 open active practices. As of July 2025, this figure has dropped to 6,229. While some of this decrease will be the result of mergers between two or more practices, a proportion are attributable to closures.
Over a similar period, the average number of patients a qualified GP is responsible for has risen from 2,034 (Dec 2017) to 2,257 (July 2025), with a population that is becoming older, frailer and living with more multiple chronic illnesses.
RCGP says the worrying figures should convince the Government to take action to ensure struggling GP practices have the funding, workforce and support they need to stay open, remaining at the heart of their local communities, close to patients' homes.
The college says that offering care close to people's homes will be key to delivering the Government's aspiration in its 10-year Health Plan to shift more care from hospitals to the community. It warns that if the trend in loss of open active practices continues, it will make these ambitions unachievable.
One of the College's main concerns, based on reports from patients, is that when surgeries close, they need to travel further for their appointments.
Practice closures also have workload implications for neighbouring surgeries, which will likely see their patient lists grow as a result, further intensifying already high demands for care.
While there are many reasons why a practice might hand back its contract, a major factor is recruitment and retention challenges - particularly of GP partners, who are responsible for the running practices - in general practice.
The College is calling for an improved GP contract, with additional ring-fenced funding for general practice to enable practices to employ GPs as appropriate, as well as greater support in the forthcoming review of the Long-Term Workforce Plan for existing partners, and GPs who want to become partners – as well as more initiatives to retain more GPs in the workforce generally.
Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: ‘We need to see a plan for this in the forthcoming review of the Long-Term Health Plan, alongside clear plans – including numbers - to address recruitment and retention issues in general practice more widely.'
Brenda Allan, chair of the RCGP Patient and Carers Partnership Group, added: ‘GPs are at the heart of community-based healthcare, providing early diagnosis and continuous treatment for patients. It's vital that we keep these local community services alive and that the Government supports them more and does not ignore the needs of patients.'
