Our response to the new GP contract
Today, the government announced a new GP contract to improve access to primary care for people across England. Primary care includes local NHS services such as GP practices and community pharmacies.
The announcement included an additional £485 million in funding for GP services, while dedicating a further £300 million to help recruit new GPs and increase the availability of GP appointments.
In North Yorkshire, access to GP services can be shaped by the county’s large rural geography, limited public transport and patchy digital connectivity. For some communities, particularly older people, disabled people and those without reliable internet access, simply booking or travelling to an appointment can present additional challenges.
The government invited our national Healthwatch to give evidence on the feedback the public has shared with us about GPs. This insight played an important role in helping to develop the new GP contract.
Healthwatch response
The new contract would be welcome news for many people who have struggled to access GP services in recent years. Recruiting more doctors should help make it easier to get an appointment and ensure urgent cases are dealt with more quickly.
People regularly tell Healthwatch that GP services are becoming harder to use. Many describe long waits in telephone queues, only to be told that appointments have already gone for the day and that they need to try again tomorrow.
We also hope the changes to the contract will reduce the technological barriers people face when trying to access GP care, such as online booking systems being unavailable or switched off.
Thanks to the experiences shared by the public, Healthwatch were able to support the government in highlighting the public's top priorities so it could develop a new GP contract that better meets patients’ needs. Their feedback enabled us to highlight the importance of clarity, fairness, and accessibility, and to ensure that people with complex needs, low digital confidence, or limited options are not left facing additional barriers to care.
