There is a chronic shortage of family doctors in England, which is putting patient safety at risk. Four fifths of England's integrated care boards would need to at least double the number of GPs to meet safe staffing standards, according to a BMJ analysis of NHS data. The British Medical Association (BMA) recommends that by 2040 there should be one full-time GP for every 1,000 patients to ensure a manageable workload. Currently, the national average is one general practitioner per 2,220 patients, with the situation varying significantly by region. The worst situation is in London, Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes, where there are more than 2,700 patients per GP. This data is based on the number of full-time physicians, which more accurately reflects the actual capacity of the workforce.