A health boss has defended GPs that shut their surgeries for lunch amid calls to keep practices open.

It comes as thousands of Kent patients have been left "seriously disadvantaged" in contacting their doctors, councillors heard this week.

Around 16% of GP surgeries in Kent closed for lunch from April 2020 to March 2021. There are a total of 192 GP practices in the county, including Medway.

It comes amid fears over long wait times for patients to book appointments.

Kent and Medway has the worst GP to patient ratio in the country with just 38 family doctors per 100,000 people compared to a national average of 60.

Kent County Council's (KCC) public health committee reviewed the situation yesterday as NHS England introduced local integrated care boards - to improve healthcare and replace the former clinical commissioning groups.

Swanley county councillor Perry Cole (Con) said more than 256,000 Kent residents are "seriously disadvantaged" in contacting their GPs due to the shutdowns.

Describing the closures as a "major bug bear" for his residents, he said: "I am sure it is a hive of industry and there are things going on behind the scenes.

"However it is an observation that 84% of surgeries can function throughout the working day and 16% have chosen to shut their doors to the public facing aspect of their work."

KCC's public health chairman, Cllr Andrew Kennedy (Con), described the lunchtime closures as a "major concern" to residents in his Tonbridge division.

Kent NHS representatives told the County Hall panel that "efficient" solutions to the shutdowns were being looked into.

Matt Capper, who is the Kent and Medway ICB's director of transition, gave assurances that staff working in the practices were not simply having lunch.

He said: "I can ensure you, they are not sitting there having their sandwiches.

"There is an awful lot of work that goes into the background of organising the afternoon session.

"If they are shut, and not defending them as there are more efficient ways of doing them, I can assure you they are not sitting there having their lunch."

Asked whether the new NHS board will have "enhanced" powers to persuade GP surgeries to stay open at lunch, Mr Capper said they were not able to intervene, but revealedtwo new GP representatives are on the board to provide expert advice.

Kent and Medway's next ICB public meeting is scheduled for November 1 at 10am.