GP Practice Update

Good Morning from the Team at Oakside.

There is much talk at the moment about how much money is being ploughed into the NHS, however what is less well known are the figures below. Yes, we have had an increase in funding however this is being counteracted by the increase to the National Living Wage and Increased Employers National Insurance contributions. This effectively wipes out any increase that GP practices have been promised in April 2025. The Institute of General Practice Management have released the following statement.

“The major effect of these increases will, no doubt, be a reduction in staffing. Where practices decide not to replace staff who leave, this will reduce overall capacity. Staff who can obtain improved benefits or higher pay for their skills elsewhere will leave general practice. If the practice is also freezing recruitment, staff will not be replaced. Where recruitment is happening, however, the quality and number of applicants for new posts will reduce as the practice is unable to offer an attractive package to the candidate/s. Making staff redundant or not covering sickness with overtime will again reduce capacity. Of course, reduced capacity in general practice means fewer appointments and poorer access for patients. This directly contradicts the Government’s plans for improving healthcare in the UK.

If practices are expected to bear 100% of the cost of these increases, even a 7.2% uplift to the core contract will not be enough for many practices to maintain services and staffing at current levels. Many practices report that 90–100% of their core contract is spent on staff. Without either an exemption from these increases (as other health and social care providers have been given) or an increase not only to the core contract but across all other local and directed enhanced services, QOF payments and other NHS-funded contracts, general practice won’t be able to continue working at the current level and certainly won’t be able to improve access for patients. In the worst cases, practices will hand back their contracts and have to close as they will no longer be financially viable.

General practice is the bedrock of the NHS. It’s the busiest part of the sector, seeing 90% of NHS contacts every day. The above figures are stark and we ask the Government to consider them seriously when planning the next GP contract.”