NHS agrees new GP contract for 2018/19

A new GP contract, agreed by NHS England, the government and the British Medical Association’s General Practitioners Committee, will take effect from 01 April 2018.

The agreement includes an initial one per cent increase in pay and three per cent uplift to expenses, with the £256 million investment also seeing approximately £60 million devoted to supporting GPs with the rising costs of medical indemnity, and £10 million to support the roll out of an e-referral service.

The Electronic Prescription Service will make it quicker and easier for patients to get their medicines by allowing prescriptions to be sent direct to pharmacist – saving GP appointment times and making it more convenient for patients. NHS England has also announced that it is widening the pilot of NHS 111 directly booking GP appointments at practices that want to participate.

Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, said: “The 2018/19 contract is a further concrete step in investing in and strengthening general practice, which is at the heart of our modern NHS.”

Richard Vautrey, BMA GPs committee chair, added: “For too long, GP pay has been in decline, despite working harder than ever to deliver more appointments in an increasingly under-pressure NHS. From the outset of these negotiations we have been resolute that we would not accept a one per cent uplift for pay and expenses, but made it clear that after a decade of pay cuts, it is time GPs and their staff received a proper pay increase.

“We have therefore provided strong evidence to the DDRB that doctors should be given an uplift of RPI plus two per cent, to bring us in line with the wider economy and we expect the government to fund any DDRB recommendation. While this agreement alone will not resolve many of the issues facing general practice today, it builds on our progress from the last two years and provides stability to practices at a time when there is little else stable for our profession.”