A senior NHS official is in Barnsley to discuss the town's chronic shortage of family doctors.

David Amos, who is responsible for recruitment and retention of doctors in the National Health Service, is meeting with councillors to try to find a solution to the problem.

The town has 23% fewer doctors than the national average. In real terms this means a shortfall of 23 doctors.

Significant numbers of the town's GPs are also likely to retire in the near future, according to a document prepared for the town's Social Affairs and Health Scrutiny Commision.

The briefing document shows 10% of the town's GPs are aged over 60, and a further 41% are over 50.

Mr Amos is exploring with town councillors options for attracting more GPs, and what the NHS is doing nationally to prevent such a shortfall re-occuring.