On average, there are 1,719 patients for every full-time-equivalent GP in England.
But patient-to-GP ratios vary hugely across the country, from just 89 patients per full-time GP at a surgery based in a residential home in Balham, London, to 40,875 at a practice in Stratford, London.
Regionally, the North West has the fewest patients per GP, at 1,557, while London has the most, at 1,956.
Professor Martin Marshall, who chairs the Royal College of GPs, said: “GPs want to be able to consistently give their patients the personalised care they deserve, no matter where they live in the country. But the increased workload expected of GPs and their teams, coupled with the chronic shortage of GPs, is unsustainable.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: "Each General Practice is required to provide services to meet the reasonable needs of its patients. There is no government recommendation for how many patients should be assigned to a GP, as the demands each patient places on their GP are different and can be affected by many different factors – including rurality and patient demographics.”
The figures, a snapshot from August 31 of this year, were published by NHS Digital and include trainee GP and locums.
The GP-to-patient ratio is only one way of looking at how busy a surgery is.
Most surgeries will also have other staff treating patients, such as nurses, physiotherapists and midwives.
Sometimes, a surgery might appear to have a low number of GPs because they share staff with a neighbouring practice. Alternatively, they may have been in the process of recruiting when they supplied their staffing figures to the NHS.
Here are the surgeries with the most/fewest patients per GP in Sunderland.
9. I J Healthcare
I J Healthcare, in Vigo Lane, was recorded as having 3,936 patients and the full-time equivalent of 1.4 GPs, meaning it has 2,725 patients per GP Photo: Google Maps
10. Westbourne Medical Group
Westbourne Medical Group, in Kelso Grove, Shiney Row, was recorded as having 6,455 patients and the full-time equivalent of 2.5 GPs, meaning it has 2,617 patients per GP Photo: Google Maps
11. Sunderland GP Alliance South Hylton Surgery
South Hylton Surgery, in Union Street, was recorded as having 4,582 patients and the full-time equivalent of 1.8 GPs, meaning it has 2,574 patients per GP Photo: Stu Norton
12. Monkwearmouth Health Centre
Monkwearmouth Health Centre, in Dundas Street, was recorded as having 4,588 patients and the full-time equivalent of 1.9 GPs, meaning it has 2,425 patients per GP Photo: Picture by Kevin Brady