The measures are backed by the biggest boost to GP funding in years, an extra £889m on top of the existing budget for general practice
- Government consults with British Medical Association on measures including largest boost to GP funding in years and reducing outdated targets to free up time
- Reforms are part of government's Plan for Change to get more patients through the NHS front door and bring back the family doctor
- Measures include substantial additional investment and greater flexibility to employ doctors, as Health Secretary vows to reform general practice
GPs will be able to spend more time treating patients under proposed reforms to general practice which will bring back the family doctor and slash red tape.
The proposals fall under the new GP contract for 2025/26, which is now out for consultation with the British Medical Association's General Practice Committee to provide its feedback.
Backed by the biggest boost to GP funding in years - an extra £889m on top of the existing budget for general practice - the proposals would also bring back the family doctor by incentivising GPs to ensure patients most in need see the same doctor at every GP appointment.
The proposed measures would also reduce the number of outdated performance targets that GPs must meet, in a further step to reduce bureaucracy and ensure doctors can spend more time with their patients.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:
General practice is buckling under the burden of bureaucracy, with GPs filling out forms instead of treating patients. It is clear the system is broken, which is why we are slashing red tape, binning outdated performance targets, and instead freeing doctors up to do their jobs.
We promised to bring back the family doctor, but we want to be judged by results - not promises. That's why we will incentivise GPs to ensure more and more patients see the same doctor at each appointment.
Through our Plan for Change, we are acting to fix the front door to the NHS and we have already started hiring an extra 1,000 GPs into the NHS.
We are proposing substantial additional investment and greater flexibility to employ doctors so patients get better care. I call on GPs to now work with us to get the NHS back on its feet and end their collective action.
Amanda Pritchard, NHS Chief Executive, said:
Hard-working GP teams are delivering millions more appointments a month compared to before the pandemic, and it is vital they are given extra resources to improve access for patients and help people live healthier lives - with a renewed focus on preventing major killers, such as heart disease and strokes.
General practice is the front door to the NHS - speaking to GPs and their teams, they are clear that embracing reform is key to improving patient experience and managing record demand.
Bringing back the family doctor and ending the 8am scramble for appointments were key manifesto commitments, and, through the government's Plan for Change, action is being taken to deliver on those promises and get the NHS back on its feet. Patients, including those with complex needs, long-term conditions, or the elderly would experience greater continuity of care under these proposals.
The government has already launched a red tape challenge to slash bureaucracy, so GPs are freed up to deliver more appointments, with primary and secondary care leaders set to report to the Health and Social Care Secretary and the NHS Chief Executive in the new year with a raft of new proposals to further reduce admin and unnecessary targets. NHS England will hold practices and trusts to account if they fail to act to do away with such bureaucracy. This is particularly important to ensure GPs can focus on treating patients amid surging demand and an ageing population.
Hundreds more newly-qualified GPs and practice nurses are also set to be employed across the country under the proposals, with the government proposing to remove red tape and make funding available - under a scheme known as the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) - for more primary care staff to find roles in their community.
To shift care from sickness to prevention:
- The government proposes to provide financial incentives to reward GPs who go above and beyond to prevent the most common killers like heart disease.
- Doctors will benefit if they ensure as many patients as possible with high blood pressure are identified and treated as soon as possible - before they end up in hospital.
To shift care from analogue to digital:
- The government proposes to require GPs to ensure patients can contact their surgery via electronic communication throughout core hours - as well as in person or over the phone - helping more people book an appointment or speak to a doctor.
Louise Ansari, Chief Executive, Healthwatch England:
Struggling to make a GP appointment is one of the top issues people share with Healthwatch. So people will welcome this focus on strengthening support to GP teams, so they can get the local advice, treatment, prescriptions and referrals they need.
As the NHS embarks on long-term reforms, its vital that short-term changes give people more choices over their care, more time to discuss their symptoms and lives in a safe space, and personalised support which works for them and their families.
Ruth Rankine, director of the NHS Confederation's primary care network said:
We welcome Secretary of State's announcement of much needed financial support for general practice and Primary Care Networks (PCNs).
This announcement provides the biggest investment into general practice and PCNs since the end of the 5-year contract deal 2 years ago. It will provide much needed relief to a sector that has borne the brunt of low financial uplifts over the last 2 years at the same time as significant cost pressures.
This announcement shows the government is walking the walk on the neighbourhood health service by putting in place the building blocks in primary care - which will be the cornerstone of the reformed service - to make it a reality.
Currently, GPs must perform against a range of targets in order to receive certain financial incentives under a scheme called The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF), piling added pressure onto already overstretched doctors.
The government will significantly reduce the number of targets - from 76 to 44 - freeing them up to spend more time with their patients.
The proposed funding boost will help ease wider financial pressures facing general practice. The final GP contract for 2025/26 will be unveiled in the spring.
Notes
- The government will now consult on its proposals for the GP Contract 2025/26 with the British Medical Association's General Practice Committee over the coming weeks, before unveiling it in Spring 2025.
- Through the Budget, the government is also investing an extra £100 million to upgrade GP estates across England, making facilities fit to deliver effective, quality care as well as starting to hire 1,000 extra GPs.
- There are already hundreds more full-time GPs than when the government took control, and proposed changes to the contract would provide further staffing support by making the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme more flexible, helping to tackle GP unemployment.
- The government has also already committed to producing a refreshed workforce plan in the summer with a focus on shifting care from hospitals and into the community.
