How Many Patients Does a GP See Every Day?
On average about 30. Yes, alot. They usually have 10 minute appointments. But time is needed between appointments to prepare for the next one, and review tests and other admin etc.
In fact in December 2024 one study of 840 GPs found that 31 was the average, down from 37 the previous year – with just over a third stating that they see between 26 and 30.
GP patient contacts per full day (including face-to-face, remote and home visits)
| Fewer than 10 | 2% |
| 11-15 | 2% |
| 16-20 | 4% |
| 21-25 | 13% |
| 26-30 | 34% |
| 31-40 | 31% |
| 41-45 | 7% |
| 46-50 | 4% |
| 51-60 | 3% |
| 61-70 | 1% |
| 71-80 | 0% |
| 81-90 | 0% |
| 91-100 | 0% |
| More than 100 (please specify) | 0% |
| Don’t know | 1% |
As can be seen above, however, some GPs see significantly more, with some seeing over 40 (or even up to 70) patients per day, which is considered unsustainable.
The number of patients seen can vary depending on the practice, the time allocated for appointments, and the type of appointments (e.g. face-to-face, telephone, home visits).
Practices may also have individual limits in place, with some implementing appointment caps.
How many patients ‘should’ a GP see?
According to the doctors union, the British Medical Association (BMA), a GP typically sees between 25 and 40 patients per day. This is in line with the study above.
The BMA recommends a safe limit of 25 patient contacts per day to ensure safe care.
MyHSN agrees with the BMA (it doesn’t always!) and thinks 25 patients per day is a safe limit.
How many hours do GPs work?
In the study described above – which included partners, salaried and locums – it was also revealed that GPs are working an average of 35 hours per week.
Just under a quarter of respondents said they work between 31 and 40 hours per work, and a similar proportion said they work 41 to 50 hours.
And the average number of sessions worked in a week was 5.85, with the largest proportion of respondents (23%) working 6 sessions per week.
