Every London health region ranks at bottom for GP nursing capacity

All five of London’s integrated care board areas have England’s lowest levels of GP practice nurses relative to their patient populations, according to new findings from the Care Quality Commission.

The regulator’s State of Care report found that the number of full-time equivalent nurses varied dramatically between health regions in March 2026, ranging from 13 to 45 for every 100,000 registered patients. The national average remained at 28 nurses per 100,000.

London also performed poorly across the wider primary care workforce. Two of its health regions had the country’s lowest rates of fully qualified GPs, while three were among the bottom five for other direct patient-care staff, including healthcare assistants and clinical pharmacists.

The CQC warned that persistent staffing gaps can increase pressure on existing teams, leave less time for essential training and contribute to longer waits for appointments. The findings underline the scale of the workforce challenge as the NHS seeks to move more treatment away from hospitals and into community and neighbourhood services.

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