Essex is facing a shortfall of hundreds of GPs, with up to 30 per cent set to retire over the next ten years, Essex County Council has heard.

About 250 from the current workforce of 830 could potentially retire from general practice.

The service already has 73 fewer GPs in Essex than in 2015, and health bosses have admitted they are having to increasingly plan for healthcare involving better use of technology and transformation of roles to take the burden away from GPs.

But councillor Stephen Robinson said: “It was important that the NHS did not forget face-to-face appointments were vital among the elderly population.”

Phil Carver, from Health Education England, said: “Technology has a role to play but it’s not going to solve the problem. For people in work, technology is a good thing. To get a doctor’s appointment you have to take a day off. To get a doctor’s appointment over Skype is good. But the main users are older people.

“There is a medical benefit seeing people face to face – having a chat you are more likely to pick up other problems. Technology is good and it makes it more convenient, but it’s not the entire thing.”