Government and GP representatives have agreed to reforming GP contacts which will modernise the system by requiring GP surgeries to allow patients to request appointments online throughout working hours from October, which will free up phonelines for those that need them. This deal was agreed yesterday (27th February 2025) between the government and the British Medical Association (BMA).
An online patient charter is to give patients a clearer idea of the treatment they are able to receive with their GP, along with more consistent care as the government aims to bring back the family doctor. GPs will be incentivised to identify patients who would benefit most from seeing the same doctor at every appointment, so more patients will see their regular GP for each appointment.
As part of a mission to cut waiting lists, GPs will be encouraged to seek specialist advice and guidance if unsure about referring a patient to hospital, with up to £80 million funding going towards doctors being able to liaise with specialist consultants. This will make sure less people are unnecessarily added onto waitlists and speed up patient care.
Alongside this, an extra £889 million is going towards general practices, bringing up the total spend on GPs to £13.2 billion in 2025-26. This is a 7.6 per cent boost compared to the 5.8 per cent growth on the NHS budget as a whole.
Additionally, GPs will be relieved of administrative tasks, with 32 out of their 76 targets they must report on, like how they are reviewing staff access to IT systems, to be removed. This will free up GPs from pointless box-ticking, so they spend more time treating patients and delivering the government’s promise to bring back the family doctor.
Health and social care secretary, Wes Streeting, said: “Rebuilding the broken NHS starts with GPs. Patients need to be able to easily book an appointment, in the matter they want, with their regular doctor if they choose.
“Today, we have taken the first step to fixing the front door to the NHS, bringing back the family doctor, and ending the 8am scramble.
“Over the past decade, funding for GPs has been cut relative to the rest of the NHS, while the number of targets for GPs has soared. That’s why patients are struggling to get an appointment.
“This government is cutting the red tape that ties up GPs time and backing them with an extra £889 million next year. 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.”
