Dire warnings over a shortage of doctors were unfounded and Brighton and Hove has managed to escape a chronic GP recruitment crisis, new figures show.

A BMA survey has shown 970 posts for family doctors are unfilled nationally, a vacancy rate of 3.4 per cent.

Brighton Primary Care Trust has just five GP posts out of 153 vacant.

Only one has been vacant for three months or more, the point where they are considered difficult to fill.

The BMA said this gave a vacancy rate of only 0.65 per cent, compared to 16 per cent in some areas.

Four months ago the Liberal Democrats' party conference in Brighton heard the city would face a crisis unless urgent steps were taken to recruit more doctors.

BMA representative Dr Mike Cockcroft, who is based at Warmdean Road in Patcham, said there was difficulty in finding GPs to work in Whitehawk and other areas faced problems.

Publishing today's survey, the BMA said it remained vital posts were filled quickly as each GP looks after an average of 1,800 patients.

Dr John Chisholm, chairman of the BMA's general practitioners committee, said: "We are approaching meltdown in general practice with a dire shortage of family doctors. There aren't enough to go round.

"If current trends continue we will see no-go areas where it is simply not possible to fill vacancies.

"The solution lies in a new GP contract to make general practice a more attractive career for young GPs and to encourage existing GPs to stay."