New Deal for GPs to Fix NHS Front Door and Bring Back Family Doctors

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The UK government and the British Medical Association (BMA) have reached a landmark agreement on GP contract reforms, aiming to fix the front door of the National Health Service (NHS) and bring back the family doctor. The new deal, which includes a 7% funding boost for general practice, is expected to improve patient access and reduce waiting times. Under the agreement, GP surgeries will be required to offer online bookings, allowing patients to request appointments digitally and freeing up phone lines for those who need them most. This move is expected to end the 8am scramble for appointments and make it easier for patients to see their regular doctor.

The agreement, which is the first to be backed by the BMA in four years, includes a significant increase in funding for GP practices, with an extra £889 million allocated for the next year. This brings the total spending on the GP contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26, a rise of 7.2%. The funding boost is intended to reverse the decade-long cuts to general practice funding as a share of the NHS budget. The government has also agreed to reduce the bureaucratic burden on GPs by scrapping unnecessary targets, such as those requiring practices to report on staff wellbeing meetings or explain how they are reviewing staff access to IT systems. Nearly half of the targets that GPs must report their progress against will be removed, freeing up doctors to spend more time treating patients and delivering care.

The reforms are part of the government's Plan for Change, which aims to rebuild the NHS and make it fit for the future. The plan includes three big reform shifts: from 'hospital to community', bringing care closer to where people live; 'analogue to digital', rolling out new technologies and digital approaches to modernise the NHS; and from 'sickness to prevention', shortening the amount of time people spend in ill-health by preventing illnesses before they happen. The agreement also includes measures to improve digital access for patients, such as setting out what patients can expect from their practice in a new charter and encouraging GP teams to identify patients with the greatest need who would most benefit from seeing the same clinician at every appointment. The government has stated that the reforms will help to ease pressures on other parts of the health service, including A&E, and drive progress on making sure fewer lives are lost to the biggest killers by making sure people are diagnosed and treated earlier.

The BMA has welcomed the agreement, stating that it marks a turning point in the recovery of general practice across England. The union has been in dispute with the Department of Health over funding levels for several years, and the new agreement is seen as a significant step forward. The funding boost and reduction in bureaucratic burden are expected to help GPs provide better services to patients and improve patient access. The agreement also includes measures to support GPs in taking the first steps to end the 8am scramble for appointments, which many patients currently endure every day. As part of the government's plan to cut waiting lists, GPs will be encouraged to seek specialist advice and guidance when unsure about making a referral to hospital, with up to £80 million of funding available for doctors to liaise with specialist consultants.

The key points of the agreement include: * A 7% funding boost for GP practices, with an extra £889 million allocated for the next year * The introduction of online bookings, allowing patients to request appointments digitally * The removal of nearly half of the targets that GPs must report their progress against, freeing up doctors to spend more time treating patients * Measures to improve digital access for patients, such as setting out what patients can expect from their practice in a new charter * Encouragement for GP teams to identify patients with the greatest need who would most benefit from seeing the same clinician at every appointment * Up to £80 million of funding available for doctors to liaise with specialist consultants, to avoid people being added onto waiting lists unnecessarily and speed up patient care. The reforms are expected to have a significant impact on the NHS, improving patient access and reducing waiting times, and are seen as a major step forward in the recovery of general practice across England.