A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "This government inherited a ludicrous situation where patients can't get a GP, yet qualified GPs couldn't get a job.
Dr Mark Steggles, chair of the BMA's sessional GP committee, said: "At a time of immense pressure on the NHS, and patients waiting too long to be seen, it's ridiculous that so many GPs can't find work.
Dr Taylor, a Manchester-based GP of 30 years and a spokesperson for the Doctors Association, told Sky News he was aware of some newly qualified GPs working gig economy jobs like Uber drivers "as a fill in just to pay the bills".
He said: "In simple terms practices haven't had enough money to employ the new GPs that we are training, so there are doctors that are unemployed and a large proportion of GPs are under employed - so they are not working hours they'd want to work.".
The rise in employer NI could also exacerbate the situation, said Shropshire GP Jessica Harvey, who added practices are already being "squeezed" by the cost of living with no spare cash to recruit.
