How can GP capacity grow when its share of funding is falling?

RCGP NI Chair, Dr Ursula Mason said:

"The latest General Medical Services (GMS) statistics highlight a deeply concerning picture for general practice and a reality that GPs and their teams are all too familiar with."

"Since 2024, funding for GP practices has increased by just £2 per patient, around a 1% rise, while inflation is closer to 3%. Once again, this means GPs are being asked to do more for patients with fewer real resources."

"The cost of delivering services continues to rise in real terms, this minimal uplift represents a real-terms squeeze on already stretched practices."

"This meagre increase falls well short of what’s needed and does not move us closer to a fairer share of the healthcare budget for general practice."

"RCGP NI continues to call for an incremental increase for general practice within the health and social care spend, but worryingly, percentage spend is going the other way for general practice– it is falling."

"At the same time, although the statistics show that GP headcount has increased, this does not reflect the full reality on the ground. These figures are based on headcount rather than whole-time equivalent (WTE), meaning they do not account for changing GP working patterns, and therefore risk overstating the capacity available to patients."

"Without a significant and sustained uplift in investment, the gap between demand and capacity for GP services will continue to widen, placing further strain on patients, GPs and the wider health and social care system."

Further information

For press enquiries, please contact Erin Delaney, RCGPNI Policy and Public Affairs Manager: email Erin.delaney@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.