The Liberal Democrats have warned of a “GP retirement time bomb,” after new research by the party reveals almost one in four family doctors are nearing retirement age.

In the Surrey Heartlands area, 24% of GPs are nearing retirement age, and 50 are over 60 years old.

A previous polling has found that almost half (47%) of GPs have said they intend to retire at or before 60.

Will Forster, Leader of Surrey Liberal Democrats, said: “Surrey is facing a GP retirement time bomb that would make it even harder to get an appointment when you need one.

“The Government has neglected our local health services and broken their promise to recruit more GPs. Their inaction has left far too many people in our community struggling to see their GP and get the care they need.”

Will Forster has called for the Government to set out a clear plan to recruit more GPs in their NHS workforce plan.