text: One in three GP training places  remain empty, it emerged today, sparking concerns patients will struggle more than ever to access a family doctor. While the Government is desperately trying to recruit more GPs, medical leaders warn the speciality has become unfashionable as junior doctors fear being overworked. The news comes amid a chronic shortage of doctors, and last week it was revealed that 10 per cent of patients tried - and failed - to book a GP appointment in 2013/14. Access to a GP is about to get even worse, as new figures show a third of GP training posts remain unfilled . This means patients tried and failed to book almost 34 million GP appointments last year. Each August, junior doctors with two years experience after medical school begin training as either a GP or a hospital doctor. This year, 29 per cent of GP trainee places remain unfilled, at a time when there is already a shortage of doctors. In some parts of the UK, more than 60 per cent of positions remain unfilled, sparking fears patients may struggle to see their GP. The figures, from the GP National Recruitment office website, were disclosed in an investigation by Pulse magazine. Overall, they show that more than 1,000 GP training posts are vacant. In the East Midlands, 64 per cent of posts are unfilled, with 63 per cent vacancy rate in the North East of England. In the West Midlands 47 per cent of posts are empty and across the south Coast 41 per cent of places remain unfilled. In 2013, the last time figures are available, there was a vacancy rate for GP trainee posts of 8 per cent at the same point in the recruitment process. Of the 12 areas across the England, Scotland and Wales, only London managed to fill its vacancies in the first round of recruitment. Doctors warn the figures mean we may be headed for a recruitment crisis, as there is already a shortage of doctors in many parts of the country . Two other areas – Kent, Surrey & Sussex and Thames Valley are expected to do so in the next round of recruitment. Dr Krishna Kasaraneni, chair of the British Medical Association's GP education committee told the Telegraph the figures show the country is headed towards a 'crisis' in GP recruitment. He said: 'We saw a significant decline last year and this is looking even worse – with more and more GPs retiring and not being replaced, we are heading towards a major recruitment crisis.' In many parts of the country, patients are struggling to get access to their GP because there are too few doctors. He said: 'Some practices are having to close their doors, others are reducing the level of service, because there just aren't enough doctors and ever more demands on them,' he said. He added junior doctors are opting to become hospital doctors instead of GPs as they fear they will be overburdened by work as a family doctor. The figures will be a blow Health Education England, the body responsible for GP recruitment, who had set a target to recruit 50 per cent of junior doctors to become GP trainees by 2016. They were already forced to push back their deadline for this target by a year, after applications for GP training fell in 2014. In 2014, after three rounds of recruitment, there was an overall vacancy rate of 12 per cent for GP training posts.
target: In August, junior doctors begin training as either a GP or a hospital doctor .
  This year 29% of GP training places are unfilled, compared with 8% in 2013 .
  Doctors warn patients may struggle to see their GP as there is a shortage .
  They say junior doctors worry they will be overworked as a GP .