Review of GP funding formula 'long overdue'

The College has welcomed the Government's decision to review the Carr-Hill formula. This is something the RCGP has long called for, and the Government has cited College research as part of its decision this morning. Professor Kamila Hawthorne, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, said:

“A patient’s postcode and where they live should not determine the level of NHS care they receive, so a review of the funding formula for general practice – which currently does not account for health inequalities – is a good thing, something the College has campaigned for and is long overdue.

“Whilst GPs and our teams across the country are working under intense workload and workforce pressures, College research has shown that GPs in deprived areas are responsible for almost 2,500 patients per head on average, whilst those practising in more affluent areas tend to have patient lists of around 2,100. It can’t be right that people in deprived communities – who often have more complex health needs and would likely benefit from health interventions most - are less likely to receive it, because their GPs’ time is spread even more thinly.

“The RCGP has called for a review of all general practice funding streams so that more spending is channelled to areas of greatest need, so it’s good to see the Government is listening. It’s now vital that this review, announced today, is conducted in close collaboration with the BMA as part of their negotiations for an improved contract, and an overall uplift to funding for delivering patient care in general practice.

“If today’s announcement is reflective of the wider 10-Year Health Plan, then this is encouraging. But we have heard rumours that the transfer of funding from secondary to primary care is set to be delayed until 2035 – something that would totally undermine the Government’s aspirations to shift more care into the community and ‘bring back the family doctor’. We need to have these rumours addressed as a matter of urgency and reassurance that funding will follow the patient, as we are hoping and have been planning for.”

Further information

RCGP press office: 0203 188 7659
press@rcgp.org.uk

Notes to editors

The Royal College of General Practitioners is a network of more than 54,000 family doctors working to improve care for patients. We work to encourage and maintain the highest standards of general medical practice and act as the voice of GPs on education, training, research and clinical standards.