Government consults with British Medical Association on measures including the largest boost to GP funding in years and reducing outdated targets to free up time.
• Reforms are part of the Government’s Plan for Change to get more patients through the NHS front door and bring back the family doctor.
• GPs in Rushcliffe will be able to spend more time treating patients under the Government’s proposed reforms to general practice, which will bring back the family doctor and slash red tape, published on 20 December.
James Naish MP has welcomed Labour’s plans to bring back the family doctor and end the 8am scramble for appointments – key manifesto commitments with action being taken to deliver on those promises and get the NHS back on its feet. Under the proposals, patients in Rushcliffe, including those with complex needs, long-term conditions, or the elderly, would experience greater continuity of care.
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.
The proposals are backed by the biggest boost to GP funding in years – an extra £889m on top of the existing budget for general practice.
The proposed measures would also reduce the number of outdated performance targets that GPs must meet, as a further step to reduce bureaucracy and ensure doctors can spend more time with their patients.
James Naish, MP for Rushcliffe, said:
“I’ve met a number of local GPs, both on-site and in my surgeries, and know that they are desperate to end the 8am appointment scramble to ensure that people who need appointments get them with doctors they know and trust.
“I’m pleased that many of our GP practices in Rushcliffe are already introducing new approaches with positive initial results that are being shared more widely, and I’ve invited ministers to come and see this work.
“I promised residents in Rushcliffe that the Government would help bring back the family doctor, and I’m delighted to see proposals that should help to deliver on that promise.”
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 It is clear the system is broken, which is why we are slashing red tape, binning outdated performance targets, and instead freeing doctors up to do their jobs.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.
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“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.”
More details on the GP proposals can be found on the Government’s website: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/gp-reforms-to-cut-red-tape-and-bring-back-family-doctor.
In readiness for the winter, on the same day as the GP announcement, James Naish visited the Emergency Department at Queen’s Medical Centre to hear more about hospital preparations for this winter.
National plans were announced in September, and Rushcliffe’s MP was able to see a number of the required steps being taken, including having same-day emergency care services as part of the Emergency Department so that patients do not need to unnecessarily spend the night in hospital.
More details on the NHS’s preparations for this winter can be found on the NHS’s website: https://www.england.nhs.uk/2024/09/nhs-announces-plans-to-prepare-for-busy-winter-period/.
