General practice workforce: as at 30 June 2024

The main source of data used is the Wales National Workforce Reporting System (WNWRS) which has been supplied and validated by NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership.

In Wales, on 30 June 2024

• 372 active GP practices, a decrease of 7 (1.8%) since 30 June 2023.
• 1,606 full-time equivalent (FTE) fully qualified GPs, an increase of 29 (1.8%) since 30 June 2023. This includes partners, providers, salaried, retainers and active locums only.
• 414 FTE GP registrars (trainee GPs), an increase of 17 (4.2%) since 30 June 2023. 
• 5,961 FTE wider practice staff, an increase of 9 (0.2%) since 30 June 2023.

When broken down by specific GP types and staff groups

• 1,452 FTE GP practitioners, an increase of 23 (1.6%) since 30 June 2023. This includes partners, providers and salaried GPs only.
• 11 FTE GP retainers, a decrease of 1 since 30 June 2023.
• 142 FTE active GP locums, an increase of 7 (5.4%) since 30 June 2023.  See the key quality and methodology section for information about changes to locum coverage from the 31 March 2024 data.
• 1,040 FTE registered nurses, a decrease of 5 (0.5%) since 30 June 2023. 
• 967 FTE direct patient care staff (staff who are not GPs or nurses but deliver health services to patients, such as health care assistants, dispensers and pharmacists), an increase of 6 (0.6%) since 30 June 2023.
• 3,954 FTE administrative or other non-clinical practice staff, an increase of 9 (0.2%) since 30 June 2023.

If a contract is not in place between the health board and a GP partner, the local health board can manage a general practice with staff which may include salaried GPs and GP locums. 

On 30 June 2024 there were 20 local health board managed practices, 6 lower than on 30 June 2023. These practices employed 74 FTE fully qualified GPs and 361 FTE wider practice staff. These staff are included in the total staff counts.

As noted in the quality report, from the 31 March 2024 data, all locums who were active in the quarter are counted, including locum work in local health board managed practices that were not recorded through Locum Hub Wales (LHW). A total of 3.7 FTE locums were recorded in health board managed practices and not through LHW on 30 June 2024 (headcount of 10), 2.6% of the overall locum GP FTE.

Statistician: Sabir Ahmed
Email: stats.healthinfo@gov.wales

Media: 0300 025 8099