Health bosses are offering GPs thousands of pounds to take up posts in some of Kent's most under-staffed areas.

Incentives will be given to doctors applying for roles at surgeries in Swale, Thanet and Medway with new recruits being given up to £15,000 as a sign-on bonus.

The NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB) is advertising for new roles after approving a £500,000 package for several new roles at 15 practices.

The salaried roles are being offered after funding for the handouts for 20 jobs – including five fellowships offered through the Kent and Medway Medical School – was approved under plans announced last year.

The job, advertised by the ICB, is described to "deal with a wide range of health needs in a primary care setting" and provide "care for all registered and temporary patients".

It adds: "Responsibilities will reflect requirements of the NHS GP contracts, and as such may be subject to change as services adapt."

Those who are successful will receive a "welcome payment" of up to £15,000 – which is spread across 13 months – with five being offered in each of the three areas.

As well as this, they are offering support from a "welcome navigator" from the council, who will help with resettling housing, schools and nurseries.

The programme approved last March is aiming to try to employ more doctors to work in the most deprived locations where patient to doctor ratios are among the highest in the county.

A report at the time said the county’s patient to GP ratio ranges from around one GP for every 1,600 patients in the best provided for areas, to one GP for every 7,000 in the “most challenged” areas.

Across Kent and Medway, there is an average of 9,512 patients registered at every practice.

It comes as Kent GPs reflected on the "chronic underfunding" of the health service and primary care which they is causing the current pressure on the entire healthcare system.

In a statement, three medical directors of the Kent Local Medical Committee, which represents GPs across the county, said funding now being put through is coming too late for plans to be put in place.

Dr Caroline Rickard, Dr Jack Jacobs and Dr Andy Parkin said the problems were not solely attributable to Covid and flu patients but as a "consequence of chronic underfunding over the last decade accelerated by the pandemic".

The "attraction offer" that has been introduced covers jobs available at surgeries in the three areas including:

Swale

• Chestnuts Surgery, Grovehurst and The Meads Medical Practice in Sittingbourne.
• Sheerness Health Centre and St George's Medical Centre in Sheerness.

Medway

• Red Suite Balmoral Gardens and The Glebe Family Practice in Gillingham.
• Court View Surgery and The Elms Medical Centre in Rochester.
• Maritime Health – which includes The Halfway Surgery, St Mary's Medical Centre, Pentagon Surgery, St Mary's Island Surgery and The Church View Practice.

Thanet

• Summerhill Surgery, Dashwood Medical Centre and Newington Road Surgery in Ramsgate.
• Bethesda Medical Centre and The Limes Medical Centre in Margate.

Rebecca Bradd, chief people officer at NHS Kent and Medway, commented: “GP recruitment is understood to be difficult across the country and we know that in Kent and Medway we have lower than average numbers.

"This is true particularly in our coastal areas, where health inequalities are greater.

"We are piloting a recruitment campaign, which targets areas most in need of GPs, with a package that gives an incentive to join and importantly, to stay by providing excellent training, development and the ability to build fulfilling careers and homes for GPs and their families."

The closing date for the application is Tuesday, January 31.