GP Contract

Question

The Health Secretary's team has perfected sales pitches for NHS reform but lacks details in implementation. 'Advice and guidance' seems to create an additional layer before referrals, potentially managing waiting lists by keeping patients in primary care instead of secondary care. Questions remain on the clinical definition of 'urgent', what constitutes a patient being 'dealt with' on the same day, and how practices will guarantee same-day responses without capped demand or published definitions.

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The Minister mentioned the Carr-Hill formula review. York currently has the lowest funding, and it is crucial that the new formula works for areas like York which are not affluent.

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Welcomes the fact that the Government have adopted their policy of seeing clinically urgent patients on the same day, but patient safety has been put at risk by increasing workloads; 1 in 5 patients forced to wait two weeks for an appointment; the Health Foundation says an additional 6,500 GPs will be needed by 2031 and the Liberal Democrats would provide 8,000. What is the Minister doing to address the shortfall? Residents in Epsom and Ewell concerned that increased housing will make it harder to get a GP appointment; asks about funding for GP buildings.

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Welcomes Government’s focus on obesity crisis but notes it does not fix root cause. Aside from junk food ban, what steps are the Government taking to encourage children and young people to create active and healthy habits for life?

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When this Government took office, number of registered patients per GP in Calder Valley was higher than national average; a GP surgery had 600 additional patients per GP. Will the Minister confirm that the funding will help practices in his constituency to recruit GPs they need?

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Welcomes nod to pressures on rural general practices in Carr-Hill process and improvement to many GP practices, but so many principals are throwing in the towel due to bureaucracy. What will be done to reduce administrative pressure on GPs?

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Declares interest as working GP in NHS, welcomes £485 million of extra funding and capacity and access money channelled back into emergency GP action; increases number of appointments and continuity of care by bringing back family doctor. May have some reassurance that processes of advice and guidance and referral mechanisms will not get in the way of Jess’s rule?

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My constituents will welcome some of these headlines, such as clinically urgent cases being seen on the same day and more GPs but what is being done to help them? Stubbington surgery in my constituency has excellent staff but they are hampered by suboptimal buildings; need a new site but that is proving difficult. Can Minister give them any hope from this announcement?

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Welcomes the welcome funding alongside the contract to hire 16,000 more GPs; however, in high-growth areas such as mine, it is often physical space rather than funding for GPs that constrains practices. Will Minister meet him to decide how they can work with their ICBs better?

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In this country, we have immense wealth of talented young people who would love to train as doctors but over many decades not recruited enough; what more could be done to increase number of doctor placements so that they can rely less on recruiting from overseas?

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Recently met people from Byron Primary Care Network who were clear about the pressures facing primary care. How will reforming GP contracts ensure that communities with a growing population can better access GP services? We have been waiting over 14 years for a GP practice in Hucknall.

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GPs are concerned about the global sum payment, suggesting it should be more than £200 per year but only £128 was announced. The Minister should advise on how to bridge this gap.

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The MP met representatives from a local medical practice who highlighted the need to invest in primary care to alleviate pressure on hospitals. He thanked all GPs and staff for their work and asked about government actions to improve GP services.

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Concerns were raised about the new contract's requirement for same-day appointments for urgent requests without a clear definition of 'urgent', potentially affecting those with complex needs.

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The MP sought assistance to hold a failing partnership accountable despite documented failures, asking what more he can do beyond requesting resignation.

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Local doctors were hoping for more detail on family medicine, neighbourhood health centres and the 10-year plan. The MP asked when the guidance would be released.

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Acknowledging the challenges in GP appointments in her constituency, she welcomed reforms but asked about ensuring all constituents benefit from them.

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Concerning specific directions for spending outlined in the new contract, which may remove flexibility and cover costs, the Minister was asked how this aligns with trusting GPs.

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Citing his father's 33-year career as a GP, he questioned whether ensuring same-day urgent appointments would help keep treatment out of hospitals.

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Cambridgeshire receives an increasingly raw deal from the Carr-Hill formula due to demographic changes. With a new mega-ICB forming, could the Minister allay concerns about how this will affect Cambridgeshire?

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Welcoming the Government’s reforms, can the Minister visit Swanscombe health centre to discuss better integration of GP services into new developments like Ebbsfleet Garden City?

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Blackburn has high deprivation and poor GP-to-patient ratio. Despite the intention of a needs-based funding formula, constituents struggle with appointment access. When will improvements be seen?

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Welcoming investment into GP practices, can the Minister clarify what capital investments are available for ICBs to shift from analogue to digital systems?

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Concerned about GP incentives tied to prescribing specific branded drugs, what measures does the Department have to ensure clinical decisions are not influenced by financial considerations?

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Engagement with ICBs on handling practice closures or GP contract returns in rural communities is needed to ensure continuity of care.

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How are GPs supported in prescribing exercise and healthy foods to prevent diseases? What provisions are there for the digitally excluded who cannot access online services?

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With the highest number of deep-end group GP practices in his constituency due to high deprivation levels, will targeted funding be provided for such areas?

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Many of the surgeries in my constituency have faced enormous pressure when having to deal with patients who cannot get an appointment, so I welcome the additional support that will come to our communities, especially inner-city communities. The Laurie Pike and al-Shafa medical centres in my constituency do so much work on prevention; I hope the Minister will join me in commending them on the work they do. Will there be ringfenced funding for preventive work in areas such as cardiovascular disease detection, respiratory illnesses and diabetes?

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I thank the Minister for his answers so far. One of the No. 1 issues that came up on the doorstep when I was canvassing across my constituency before the general election was same-day access to GPs. Although I recognise that there is still work to be done, I welcome the work the Labour Government and the Minister have done to improve GP access for constituents across Harlow. Does the Minister recognise that there is still more to be done? Will he touch a little on the importance that the shift from hospital to community will have for hospitals like mine, the Princess Alexandra hospital, and specifically the accident and emergency department?

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I thank the Minister very much for his positive answers, and I thank the Minister and the Government for the giant steps they are taking to improve the NHS; we are encouraged by that. While the Government have rolled out major changes to the GP contract in England to improve access to same-day appointments, the situation in Northern Ireland, as he will know, is critical. Patients back home are struggling to get GP appointments, waiting times are long and workforce shortages are acute. I know from past questions that the Minister has a good working relationship with Mike Nesbitt, the Health Minister in the Northern Ireland Assembly. What discussions has he had with the Department of Health in Northern Ireland to ensure that local GP services in Northern Ireland work in parallel with the new guidance in England so that patients are not left behind?

Question

The beautiful and vibrant yet very isolated community of Coniston has had a GP practice for the last 200 years or so, but it runs the risk of losing it this year. Its GPs, who were wonderful, retired last summer and a caretaker service is being provided. Bids have been invited and there has been much interest, but no bid has been made. The reason is that the finances are really marginal at such a small surgery where people cannot go anywhere else. There is an answer, and I want to ask the Minister whether he might intervene and talk to the ICB to help us to get there. If the dispensing contract were to be let jointly with the GP contract, that would make it viable, and I know of GPs who would be interested if that were to happen. Will he talk to the ICB to ensure that that flexibility is applied so that we can save the surgery in Coniston for the next 200 years?