Patients have had to queue outside surgeries in a part of Kent where there is now just one doctor for every 3,250 patients.

The ratio in New Romney has rocketed by 400% in six years and doesn't look set to improve before 2029.

New Romney Town Council has now launched an investigation into the situation and has written to four surgeries.

Issues with face-to-face appointments in the town and surrounding areas are said to have left residents frustrated and questioning why the situation has not returned to normal after the height of the pandemic.

A spokesman for the council said that the situation had led locals to ask the council to intervene.

"Many are concerned that they are still not able to get face to face appointments with their local GPs, and that it is a struggle to even get a phone appointment," she explained.

"People are still queuing outside their surgeries at times, and some feel that in other areas services are going back to normal.

"They want to know why they are not getting the same access when others are."

In response, the council has written to the two surgeries in town – Oak Hall and Church Lane – as well as the Orchard House Surgery in Lydd, and the Martello Health Centre in Dymchurch.

It has also set up a working party to discuss the issues and look at options it has to assist both residents and the surgeries – although this is understood to be in the very early stages.

"The council has written to these surgeries to enquire what the problems are that are meaning that patients can't have access, and if so who could the town council write to to aid with those issues," explained a spokeswoman for the council.

Of the four only Oak Hall Surgery has so far responded to the councils queries, which were first submitted at the start of April.

The letter – which has been shared on the council's website – details issues with the surgery itself, as well as industry issues that could impact GPs across the country for years.

It said that the patient to doctor ratio is now more than four times worse than it was six years ago, with the situation unlikely to improve over the "next seven years".

In it, Dr Tauseef Azim wrote: "I do understand some of the frustrations patients are voicing; this is largely due to a change in the delivery of services and the way Primary Care has had to operate.

"On a weekly basis we have between 560 and 570 appointments (depending on duration of appointment) of which approximately 390 are, or can be face to face. If a patient needs to be seen by a doctor they absolutely are, and we have face to face appointments daily for the doctor to book patients into.

"Sadly, things have changed and seeing the doctor on every visit is difficult as they are now so thinly spread, they need the support of their patients and the wider community to prevent them from becoming overwhelmed and wanting to leave.

"There is a chronic shortage of Primary Care Doctors at the moment. Oak Hall for example, used to have six doctors just six years ago when we had 4600 patients.

"I do understand some of the frustrations patients are voicing"

"Now, we have two doctors for 6,500 patients, with a workload that equates to 7,400 patients."

The figures based on patient numbers alone mean that the surgery now has around 3,250 patients per doctor, where as six years ago the figure was around 767.

Dr Azim also said that the surgery was "very concerned" about proposed housing projects in the area without the infrastructure to support it.

"The Government have made it clear there are no new doctors ready and trained to enter primary care, thousands have retired without replacement, some passed away due to covid; this will be the case for the next seven years," he added.

"We are very concerned by the New Housing projects in the area; this will amount to several hundred homes without additional infrastructure to support the families such as GP surgeries.

"Everyone at Oak Hall is passionate about care and keeping patients and staff safe.

"We would love a purpose built surgery so we could deliver more care safely. Parking for staff even just a few spaces would help."

Meanwhile, recent figures have shown shockingly high levels of missed GP appointments nationally and in Kent.

A staggering 33,000 people missed appointments in the county in just one month during April.

In the same month, some 720,798 appointments were carried out in Kent and Medway, of which nearly 60% were face-to-face or home visits and the rest were telephone and online consultations.

A spokesman for NHS Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group said: " Demand for GP practice services remains high across the country, as well as in Kent and Medway. The practices in the Marsh area are working together to provide the best possible care under significant pressure.

“In response to the pandemic, GP practices were obliged to maintain social distancing for the safety of patients and staff in waiting rooms, which resulted in some queuing outside. This requirement has now been relaxed.

“Patients may be offered appointments with other healthcare professionals, such as a nurse, pharmacist or paramedic, depending on their clinical need. Not all consultations require a GP. Appointments for routine medical care for a long-term condition are often given a few weeks in advance, either in person or over the phone, if appropriate. This means same-day appointments are available for those with an urgent need.”