A new NHS deal sees more funding for GPs, and easier access to service for patients. Health and Social Care Secretary We Streeting said that the new reforms for GP contracts aim to cut ‘the red tape’ that often occupies GPs, leaving them free to treat more patients. Starting in October, patients will have better access to their regular GPs and will easily be able to book appointments online. The deal was also supported by an injection of £889 million into GP practices, as part of the Government’s plans to pivot the focus of the NHS from hospital to community.
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‘This government is cutting the red tape that ties up GPs’ time and backing them with an extra £889 million next year,’ said Streeting. ‘In return, more patients will be able to request appointments online and see their regular doctor for each appointment. Through the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change, we will work with GPs to rebuild the NHS and make it fit for the future.’
Health leaders welcome the reforms, regarding them as long overdue. In his recent review of the NHS, surgeon and crossbench peer Lord Darzi found that the NHS budget dedicated to primary care had fallen by a quarter between 2009 and 2021, leaving primary care and GP practices under immense cost pressures. The new funding also aligns with government plans to cut waiting lists, as £80million of the new budget will be dedicated to allowing GPs to consult with specialists before making hospital referrals.
‘This contract sets out a range of welcome measures to support the sector, including confirming the biggest investment into general practice and primary care networks since the end of the five-year contract deal two years ago,’ said Ruth Rankine, primary care director at the NHS Confederation. ‘This extra £889 million funding provides much needed relief to a sector that has borne the brunt of low financial uplifts over the last two years at the same time as significant cost pressures.’