April 2026
General practice is facing a workload crisis. As general practice adapts and responds to the evolving needs of their communities, workforce expectations, and wider system transformation, there is a clear need to better understand and address workload issues to strengthen and protect sustainable and high-quality general practice at the core of the NHS.
This report reveals the scale of hidden and avoidable workload and sets out practical solutions to tackle GP workload to protect patient care and the GP workforce. In December 2025, the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) published ‘Uncovering the GP workload burden: A study of the drivers and costs of ‘unnecessary’ and hidden workload’, conducted by Apollo Innovation and Here. The research estimated the average equivalent cost of hidden and avoidable workload could amount to £410 per GP per day in England. Tasks identified range from repeated referrals due to administrative issues and excessive regulatory documentation, to chasing information as a result of poorly integrated IT systems, highlighting a substantial and avoidable burden and strengthening the case for urgent system-wide improvements to reduce administrative demands and protect patient care.
Building on these findings, alongside wider evidence and analysis, we present targeted recommendations for policymakers in England to tackle the GP workload crisis and safeguard the future sustainability of general practice in our new report - ‘Tackling the GP workload crisis: From evidence to action on hidden and avoidable workload in general practice’ (April 2026).
At a time when there are ambitions to shift even more care into the community across the UK, and particularly through the 10 Year Health Plan for England (10YHP), demands on general practice will only continue to rise. GPs and their teams are central to delivering a future-ready NHS and to making plans for community and neighbourhood health services a reality, but Governments must urgently address significant workload issues and provide the funding uplift needed so practices can meet the needs of patients today while building the capacity required for tomorrow.
In April 2026, we wrote to the Health Minister to share the findings of the report and call on the Government to ensure that hidden workload already carried by general practice is recognised and reduced, and any further shift is matched with the necessary funding to undertake additional work.
RCGP Letter to Minister Stephen Kinnock on GP Workload
We will continue to work with Governments, NHS bodies, system partners and stakeholders across the UK to highlight and address workload challenges to improve the experiences of GPs so they can deliver the best possible care for their patients and improve the nation’s health. Urgent action now will determine whether general practice can continue to deliver safe, high-quality care for patients in the years ahead.
December 2025
As part of RCGP’s strategic priority to “Tackle the workload and workforce crisis”, the College has commissioned new research to examine the nature, scale and impact of unnecessary and hidden workload in England – Uncovering the GP workload burden: A study of the drivers and costs of “unnecessary” and hidden workload (December 2025).
Excessive and unrecognised workload continues to threaten GP wellbeing and retention, alongside patients’ access to care, and the quality of care delivered. General practice carries substantial volumes of work that sit outside the consulting room, yet are essential to safe, continuous and coordinated care. Despite their importance, these tasks are often unmeasured, unfunded and poorly understood across the wider system.
This RCGP-commissioned study on GP workload, conducted by Apollo Innovation and Here, focused on understanding ‘unnecessary’ and ‘hidden’ tasks undertaken by GPs in England. The mixed-methods research combined a narrative literature review, in-depth qualitative interviews with 14 GPs, and a time and motion study to provide insight into the scale, nature, drivers and costs of unnecessary tasks in general practice. The findings, whilst indicative from a modest sample size, suggest that unnecessary workload activity carries an estimated average cost of £410.53 per GP per day, highlighting a substantial and avoidable burden and strengthening the case for urgent system-wide improvements to reduce administrative demands and protect patient care.
This research findings demonstrate that unnecessary and hidden workload is widespread and under-recognised across general practice in England. GPs reported spending a significant proportion of their day on indirect care, reflecting the extent of work that supports patients but remains largely unseen. Importantly, much of this work takes place outside GPs’ contracted hours and cannot simply be converted into additional appointment capacity. Workload intensity and resource demands were identified as key drivers of retention problems, and practices in deprived areas were highlighted as facing greater hidden burdens. The study also found that digital infrastructure inefficiencies, including issues with access, quality and interoperability of IT systems, amplified workload pressures. Recognising the complexity of defining and identifying “unnecessary” and “hidden” work, and acknowledging that some of these activities are essential for patient safety and continuity of care, the study presents a nuanced picture. More research is needed to validate the indicative cost of unnecessary workload, and better understand both the financial and emotional impacts.
The RCGP will continue work to support GPs and their teams with workload concerns, as we look to identify opportunities for change and engage with NHS England, Government, and system partners to reduce hidden and unnecessary workload and improve sustainability in general practice.
Useful resources
Our Bright ideas from general practice webpage showcases practical innovations developed by GP teams across the UK, including case studies that highlight examples of good practice and innovation in managing workload.
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