RCGP lays out key principles for GP partnership

The Royal College of GPs has said support is needed for GP partnership to ‘remain a realistic option’ for general practice, as it launches its new report today that identifies barriers to GPs becoming partners and how to address them.

It follows Lord Darzi’s report, published last year, that found that GP partnerships “have the best financial discipline in the health service family as they cannot run up large deficits in the belief that they will be bailed out." The report argued that strong financial management and the associated cost-effectiveness the GP partnership model can offer, as well as its ability to deliver "local innovations that [improve] access and quality of care, while also relieving pressures on acute hospitals" must be recognised and protected.

The new report explores the core strengths of the traditional partnership model* – including its benefits for patients and the NHS – recognising there is room for modernisation and innovation. It also examines alternative models of general practice that are in use alongside the partnership model and sets out principles to maintain GPs’ ‘unique’ connection to their communities.

With the number of GP partners falling 25% in 10 years, the report calls for action to be taken to break down barriers to partnership, as well as considering the strengths and limitations of alternative models of general practice and how they can work safely and efficiently whilst maintaining general practice care and services at the heart of communities.

The College lays out the principles complementary models of general practice must adhere to if they are going to deliver the best, community-based care for patients:

• Practices should retain relative autonomy in decisions relating to the organisation and delivery of patient care, with the ability to act as powerful independent advocates for patients, and the flexibility to innovate.
• Practices should be physically connected with, and accountable to, a community, and patients should remain connected to their neighbourhood GP practice.
• Different ways of approaching the partnership model should be carefully scrutinised by the College, the government and the BMA, as well as piloted and evaluated before wider roll-out.

Professor Kamila Hawthorne, Chair of the Royal College of GPs said: “The GP partnership model has huge benefits for the NHS and patients. Lord Darzi's 2024 report praised the model for its financial discipline, local innovation, and quality of care; but despite this numbers of GP partners are falling - dropping by 25% in 10 years.

“We know there are elements of the traditional GP partnership that can be improved and modernised, while retaining its core strengths. Members tell us they are concerned about the unlimited personal liability exposure involved with being a GP partner, the financial risks associated with owning or leasing premises, and the burden of management responsibilities related to running a business and employing staff – particularly at a time when the number of patients needing care is soaring.

“The RCGP wants to safeguard the future of general practice – and that means looking at ways to remove these barriers to partnership that members tell us about, while also being open to exploring alternative ways of approaching partnership. Several other models are already established or being piloted in communities across the country, each with its own strengths and limitations.

“What’s important is that GPs retain their unique connection to their community through their registered patient lists and their local practice buildings, as well as autonomy over the care and services they deliver, tailored to the health needs of their local patient populations. It’s also vital that any of the alternative approaches currently in place in different parts of the country are carefully scrutinised by the College, the BMA and the government, and evaluated in terms of benefits for patients and efficiency for the NHS before they are considered for wider roll-out.

“If we are going to keep GPs at the heart of our communities, delivering the holistic, timely and personalised care patients value, then we need make sure general practice is evolving and adapting – but we also need to recognise the prevailing benefits of partnership, and ensure it remains a realistic option for general practice.”

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.