There has been a sharp fall in GPs per person in Cambridgeshire, according to new analysis by the Liberal Democrats.

It comes as many people are struggling to book an appointment with their GP, with services increasingly under pressure from rising demand.

The figures show there is now just one GP per 2,176 people in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough in June 2021, compared to the national average of one GP per 2,038 people.

This is up 16 per cent from the one GP per 1,872 people in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough five years ago.

The number of GPs employed in the area has also fallen by 11% to just 412 in the same period.

Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats said the alarming figures, based on analysis by the House of Commons Library, revealed the stark “postcode lottery” facing GP patients.

The party is calling on the government to invest in GP services to ensure people can get a doctors’ appointment when they need one.

Ian Sollom, South Cambridgeshire District Councillor who stood for the Liberal Democrats in the constituency in 2019, said: "The Conservative government are badly letting down both GPs and patients across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

"Residents deserve a fair deal. Instead of fixing the GP shortage crisis, the Conservatives are making it worse by failing to train the new doctors we desperately need.

“The worsening GP shortage has given rise to a postcode lottery, with our hard-working GPs overstretched and people left waiting too long for treatment or even an appointment.

“Families rely on being able to see a GP when they or their children fall sick to get advice, access treatment and get well again.

"The government must invest more in our GP practices and train up more doctors, to ensure patients get the fair deal they deserve.”