GPs turning patients away from bulging surgeries in part of Hampshire already have enough cash, health chiefs have said.

NHS England said it shares growing concern about a GP shortage in Fareham, exposed by local Conservative MP Mark Hoban.

But, in a meeting with Mr Hoban, it argued it was up to the practices themselves to recruit more doctors – because they are already paid on a per-patient basis.

Now Mr Hoban plans to write to all the practices in his constituency, saying: “I will be asking what plans they have to expand.

“NHS England shares my concern that we do need more GPs, but they argue that oversized practices already get more money for those extra patients.

“It may be that the practices have employed more nurses, which is reasonable, but I was told they must take responsibility themselves for sorting out these problems.”

Research by Mr Hoban revealed that practices in his constituency have up to 700 more patients for each family doctor than the average across England.

All but one of the ten in Fareham has more than 1,850 – a list topped by Jubilee Surgery, in High Street, Titchfield, which has a staggering 2,565 patients per doctor.

Mr Hoban met Debbie Fleming, the director of NHS Wessex, today, to discuss |a recruitment drive.