An inquiry has revealed that around 500 general practitioners (GP) practices have closed permanently without being replaced in the past decade.

Due to the lack of new medical facilities in their postcode region, about 1.5 million people have been forced to travel further to receive treatment.

The research also indicates that the conventional doctor-patient relationship is diminishing because the average practice that closed served fewer patients in the area.

According to the medical journal Pulse, 474 operations have closed in the United Kingdom since 2013, without being replaced.

A survey of 162 businesses revealed that retirement, resignations, and difficulty recruiting were the deciding factors for 42 percent of closures.

Earlier this year, it was determined that half of England’s small GP practices had closed in the previous decade. This is the first study to examine whether or not they were replaced.

While some locales may have gained a general practitioner’s office, Pulse reports that new practices open far less frequently than old ones close.

The latest analysis indicated that the average operation lost since 2013 had an average patient list of 2,738, but modern practices often have more than 9,000 patients on file.

According to patient satisfaction surveys, few procedures are among the most common.

Rachel Power, chief executive officer of the Patients Association, remarked, “At many of these practices, patients will have developed significant and long-lasting relationships with their family doctor.

The loss of their offices will require patients to travel to see a new primary care physician and may send more patients to A&E, which is already under significant strain.

A spokesperson for the NHS stated, “The NHS has invested record sums, in general, practice this year, and the number of workers has increased by 18,000 since 2019 — exceeding the government’s goal.”