More than 500 GP practices in England face being closed because of a looming "workforce crisis", experts have said.
The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) said a large number of family doctors were nearing retirement and unless action was taken there will not be enough replacements for them.
It means thousands of people could be left without a GP or will have to travel miles to see one, the RCGP added.
The warning comes after David Cameron pledged access to a GP seven days a week if the Conservatives are returned to power next May.
Dr Maureen Baker, RCGP chairwoman, is scheduled to tell the college's annual conference in Liverpool the number of people entering the profession is falling short of the numbers leaving it.
As well as retiring, family doctors are leaving Britain to work abroad or pursuing alternative careers.
The RCGP said the number of unfilled GP posts has quadrupled in the last three years from 2.1% in 2010 to 7.9% in 2013.
At the same time estimates suggest applications for GP training have dropped by around 15%.
Dr Baker will call for the budget for general practice to be increased to help meet the shortfall.
"Today, I can reveal new estimates from the College that 543 practices in England are at risk of closure if something isn't done," she will say.
"There are practices that have over 90% of GPs over the age of 60, when the average retirement age of GPs is 59. This is shocking.
"With a growing, ageing population, not to mention a baby boom, we need to increase capacity in general practice, not take it away."
Dr Baker will add: "Most worryingly, we are not attracting enough new doctors and nurses into general practice, or doing enough to retain the highly skilled workforce we have."
A Department of Health spokesman said: "We're increasing trainees so that GP numbers continue to grow faster than the population and will train 10,000 more primary and community health and care staff by 2020, including 5,000 more GPs.
"There are already 1,000 more GPs than in 2010 and we're making it easier for GPs to return to the profession."
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