West Sussex health authority was short of 45 GPs at the end of the last financial year, according to official statistics.

The figures, revealed in a written parliamentary answer, show a sharp increase on the number of GP vacancies in 2000.

That year, 31 posts were reported as unfilled by the health authority.

No figures are available for Brighton and Hove but the vacancy rate in West Sussex, one of the highest in the country, reflects the growing GP crisis in the county.

Last week a raft of measures were unveiled to try to boost the number of GPs.

This included the offer of a £5,000 "golden hello" to all new GPs arriving in the county.

GPs in Brighton and Hove, Adur, Arun, Bexhill and Rother, Chichester, Crawley, Eastbourne Downs, Hastings and St Leonards will be offered an additional £5,000 in recognition of the fact they face added difficulties with recruitment.

Ministers have also agreed to ensure trainee GPs' pay increases in line with that of trainee hospital doctors.

And there will be increased funding to cover paying locums and for maternity, paternity and adoption leave.

Last week Health minister John Hutton said: "GPs have expressed concerns about workload, morale and recruitment and retention. The Government, working with the profession, is determined to address these concerns head on."

The "golden hellos" will be paid to new family doctors from this month.