GP partnership principles – May 2025

The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has long supported “a mixed economy of contractual models for delivering general practice, while recognising the benefits and importance of the independent contractor model”. This position was agreed through a motion to RCGP UK Council in November 2013 and reaffirmed in June 2017.

In 2025, with GP partner numbers having fallen by 25% over the past decade, the RCGP has been considering the future of GP partnership and this mixed economy.

As part of this work, our Partnership Principles paper seeks to offer a framework to strengthen partnerships in general practice for the future, while protecting the core values of traditional GP partnership model, which have been shown to benefit patients, GPs, and the wider healthcare system. Our report calls for action to break down barriers to partnership and examines how new and different ways of approaching partnership can operate effectively, provided they maintain the essential qualities of community-based general practice at the heart of communities.

We hope this paper will provide a basis for ongoing discussion in this space and help to ensure GP partnership remains a viable and effective model of care delivery, that can adapt and respond effectively to future challenges and continue to provide patients with the highest quality and standard of care in general practice. The RCGP remains dedicated to collaborating with governments, the BMA, and system partners to identify and support sustainable, high-quality models of general practice.

RCGP GP Partnership Principles – May 2025 (PDF file, 301 KB)

A copy of the accompanying press statement can be found on our website: RCGP lays out key principles for GP partnership.