RCGP responds to the Autumn Budget 2026

Responding to today's Autumn Budget, the Royal College of General Practitioners said that with NHS funding announcements focused on short-term winter pressures, future fiscal decisions must take a longer-term view, bringing investment in line with the Government's ambitions to shift care into communities and develop neighbourhood health services.

Professor Victoria Tzortziou Brown, President of the Royal College of General Practitioners, said:

"The Government has rightly identified prevention as a priority for improving the nation's health and reducing pressures across the health service. General practice is part of the solution central to delivering this ambition, with patients trusting their GP most for advice on healthy living. But in recent College research 75% of GPs reported they do not have enough time to offer preventive care. If the Government is serious about strengthening prevention, general practice must be equipped with the time, workforce and resources needed to deliver it proactive, personalised and continuous care – and this must be reflected in the Spending Review next year.

"While we welcome exploration of the opportunities presented by AI and technology, today's Budget does not address the many longstanding challenges facing general practice and the wider NHS at a time when patients' health needs are becoming increasingly complex, and the Government is seeking to deliver more care closer to home.

"General practice is the linchpin of the NHS, yet our recent State of General Practice report paints a stark picture. Only 36% of GPs feel they have sufficient time to assess and treat patients adequately, more than one in five report feeling so stressed they cannot cope most or every day, and general practice now receives just 8.3% of NHS spending in England, its lowest share in a decade. This is fundamentally at odds with the Government's ambition to shift care out of hospitals and into communities.

"Furthermore, nearly six in ten practices report needing improvements to their premises to meet patient need. Without a sustained shift of resources into general practice and primary care, it will be difficult to deliver the Government's ambitions for care closer to home and neighbourhood health services.

"The College urged the Treasury ahead of this Budget to commit to a Primary Care Investment Standard to reverse the trend of underinvestment in general practice and ensure spending increases year on year and that resources follow the Government's commitment to shift care into communities. We also called for investment in expanding GP training capacity, retention of experienced GPs, modernising practice premises and improving digital infrastructure.

"We will continue to work constructively with Government and NHS leaders to make the case for the long-term investment and policy action needed to ensure general practice can play its full role in delivering high-quality care for patients and supporting wider NHS priorities."

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.