A GP shortage in London is a "ticking time bomb" waiting to happen, a report says.

The London Assembly Health Committee report, released today, highlights the shortage of GPs in the capital at a time when the population is rising.

The report found that almost 16 per cent of London GPs are near retirement age at over 60 years old, compared with 10 per cent nationally.

At the same time, the population in London is growing.

It is currently around 8.6 million but it is projected to increase to nine million by 2020, and ten million by 2030.

The most rapid growth will be seen in the number of people over 65 years old, over fifty per cent in less than 25 years.

And London’s young population, of around two million people aged 18 years and under, is set to increase by almost ten per cent by 2035.

The report says both of these groups use healthcare services more intensively than any other age group.

Launching the report today, Dr Onkar Sahota, Chair of the Health Committee, said he was worried the shortage of GPs could lead to a crisis in the capital.

He said: “London’s population is growing rapidly and we could reach GP crisis point soon.

“To improve patient satisfaction, we desperately need more GPs and better access to them.

“If we are to move more patient care from hospitals to the community, we must have the funding and infrastructure in place for increased General Practice capacity – that means more GPs, increased morale, improved surgeries and easier access.

“There is clearly a supply and demand issue and something drastic needs to be done before we reach the tipping point.”