The future of General Practice

Health and Social Care Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 16 Nov 2021 Closed: 24 Jul 2023 Parliament page
The Committee has launched a new inquiry to explore the future of NHS general practice, examining the key challenges facing general practice over the next five years as well as the biggest current and ongoing barriers to access to general practice. General practice has seen significant changes in recent years, … Read more
20 Recommendations
25 Conclusions
1 Report
4 Oral sessions
2 Letters
4 Events
Activity timeline 12 events
24 Jul
2023
Report published
11 Jan
2023
Correspondence
20 Oct
2022
Report published
6 Sep
2022
Correspondence
12 Jul
2022
Oral evidence
12 Jul
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 6, Palace of Westminster
14 Jun
2022
Oral evidence
14 Jun
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 16, Palace of Westminster
18 May
2022
Oral evidence
18 May
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
15 Mar
2022
Oral evidence
15 Mar
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 8, Palace of Westminster
Oral evidence sessions 4 sessions
12 Jul 2022
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Dr Amanda Doyle · NHS England Dr Nikki Kanani · NHS England James Morris MP · Department of Health and Social Care Matthew Style · Department of Health and Social Care
14 Jun 2022
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Beccy Baird · King's Fund Dr Margaret Ikpoh · Royal College of General Practitioners Dr Peter Holden · Imperial Road Surgery Mrs Heather Randle · Royal College of Nursing Professor Mike Holmes · Haxby Group Sir Robert Francis QC · HealthWatch England
18 May 2022
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Dr Jacob Lee · Horfield Health Centre Dr Kate Sidaway-Lee · St Leonard's Medical Practice Dr Pauline Grant · Cheviot Road Surgery Dr Rebecca Rosen · Nuffield Trust Professor Steinar Hunskår · University of Bergen
15 Mar 2022
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Dr Andrew Green, Retired GP Dr Becks Fisher · The Health Foundation Dr Kate Fallon · Somerton House Surgery Dr Kieran Sharrock · British Medical Association (BMA) Professor Martin Marshall · Royal College of General Practitioners
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Fourth Report - The future of general practice HC 113 20 Oct 2022 45 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
11 results
Clear
1 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - The future of gene…
General practice in crisis due to poor patient access and safety risks, unacknowledged by government.
The first step to solving a problem is to acknowledge it and we believe that general practice is in crisis. It is clear from the latest GP Patient survey results that despite the best efforts of GPs, the elastic has … Read more
Government Response
The government partially accepts, acknowledging access challenges but not a 'crisis'. It details ongoing efforts and specific actions from its Delivery Plan for Recovering Access to Primary Care, including a retargeted investment of over £1bn (up to £645m in community pharmacy, £240m for a new access approach), recruitment of over 29,000 primary care professionals since 2019, and measures to reduce GP bureaucracy.
Department of Health and Social Care
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2 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - The future of gene…
Acknowledge general practice crisis and detail short-term steps to improve patient safety and access.
In response to this Report the Government and NHS England should be clear in acknowledging that there is a crisis in general practice and set out in more detail the steps they are taking in response to this crisis in … Read more
Government Response
The government partially accepts, agreeing to explore solutions for primary care constraints but states it does not want to duplicate ongoing work. It points to existing efforts like the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges review, the Delivery Plan for Recovering Access to Primary Care, the 'Bureaucracy busting concordat', and pilots for automating administrative processes.
Department of Health and Social Care
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4 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - The future of gene…
GP recruitment remains off-track despite trainee growth, requiring further government action.
GP recruitment is essential to resolving the crisis in general practice, and while it is disappointing that the Government remains off track to meet its target to recruit 6,000 additional GPs by 2024, the growth in the number of GP … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts and is adapting GP specialty training distribution to better reflect population needs as part of NHS England’s trainee redistribution programme. It also highlights ongoing efforts like new medical schools and the Targeted Enhanced Recruitment Scheme, which provided £20,000 incentives for training in hard-to-recruit areas, with 800 places available in 2022.
Department of Health and Social Care
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7 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - The future of gene…
Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme lacks funding for supervision and high-need areas.
We welcome the progress made in recruiting additional professionals to general practice and recognise the potential they have to improve the range of services on offer in general practice and to ensure patients are able to see the right professional … Read more
Government Response
The government partially accepts, acknowledging that ARRS doesn't explicitly cover supervision for all roles but states support creates supervisory capacity for Advanced Practitioners. It commits to reimbursing Primary Care Networks (PCNs) for First Contact Practitioners' training time and has increased the cap on Advanced Practitioners. It also states that inner and outer London weightings are reflected within current ARRS allocations to PCNs.
Department of Health and Social Care
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11 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - The future of gene…
General practice administrative workload remains unsustainable despite initial reduction efforts.
The Government and NHS England have made a start on reducing the administrative workload in general practice, and it is also encouraging to see some Integrated Care Systems agreeing to try to reduce the amount of work that is inappropriately … Read more
Government Response
The government partially accepts, focusing on existing GP retention schemes (National GP Retention Scheme, Fellowship Programme) and exploring flexible working to support retention, while noting that GP partnerships are responsible for reviewing working conditions.
Department of Health and Social Care
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20 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - The future of gene…
Declining continuity of care in general practice is concerning and inadequately prioritised nationally.
We are extremely concerned about declining provision of continuity of care in general practice. We recognise the enormous pressure that GP services are under but it is unacceptable that one of the defining standards of general practice has been allowed … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation and states that continuity of care is a priority for Integrated Care Systems, citing existing initiatives like the Modern General Practice Access approach, issued frameworks, and ongoing work to improve digital services and patient communication.
Department of Health and Social Care
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21 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - The future of gene…
Continuity of care is a vital, evidence-backed goal benefiting NHS general practice patients and GPs.
We believe that continuity of care is one of the most important goals for NHS general practice. There is a wealth of evidence that higher levels of continuity of care in general practice are better for both patients and GPs … Read more
Government Response
The government partially accepts the recommendation, stating it will reduce QOF and IIF indicators for 2023/24 to address micro-incentives. It also commits to formally consulting on the future of QOF during 2023/24 and engaging with stakeholders on IIF reform.
Department of Health and Social Care
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31 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - The future of gene…
Unacceptable patient uncertainty accessing first-contact care through new NHS organisations.
Primary Care Networks and Integrated Care Systems offer an opportunity to better integrate care around people. It should not be the case that patients face so much uncertainty about where to turn to if they have a new or urgent … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation for better integrated care, stating NHS England has issued a framework to support access, implemented the Modern General Practice Access approach, begun commercial work to rationalise digital services, and started standardising patient communications.
Department of Health and Social Care
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32 Recommendation Accepted
Fourth Report - The future of gene…
Need for Integrated Care Systems to simplify patient interface and improve first-contact access.
Integrated Care Systems should prioritise simplifying the patient interface with the NHS by improving access, triage and referral across first-contact NHS organisations including general practice.
Government Response
The government accepts, stating it is a priority for ICSs and outlining initiatives like the Modern General Practice Access approach to improve patient navigation, triage, and access, alongside work on digital services and communication standardization.
Department of Health and Social Care
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39 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - The future of gene…
General practice needs headspace and back-office support for service improvement and PCN success.
With general practice currently in crisis it is important that GPs are given the headspace that they need to work differently and improve services, or the potential advantages of new Primary Care Networks will not be realised. Giving GPs time … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the importance of giving GPs headspace and back-office support, detailing plans for Integrated Care Systems to implement Fuller stocktake recommendations, providing digital tools and funding through a new delivery plan, and launching a National General Practice Improvement Programme.
Department of Health and Social Care
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40 Recommendation Accepted
Fourth Report - The future of gene…
Increase organisational support for GPs focusing on crucial back-office functions like HR and data.
The Government and NHS England should increase the level of organisational support provided to GPs with a particular focus on important back-office functions such as HR, data and estates management. (Paragraph 129) The GP partnership
Government Response
The government accepts and outlines several initiatives, including ICS implementation of Fuller stocktake recommendations, digital tools, care navigation training, and the new National General Practice Improvement Programme, to increase organisational support for GPs.
Department of Health and Social Care
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Government Response AI assessment · 45 of 20 classified
Accepted 11
Accepted in Part 7
Acknowledged 3
Deferred 18
Rejected 6
Total 20 recs + 25 conclusions
Correspondence 2 letters
11 Jan 2023 To committee Letter from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Primary Care and Public Health (HSCC Report - The Future of General Practice) 23.12.22
Parliament page
6 Sep 2022 Correspondence from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Primary Care and Patient Safety on the Future of General Practice dated 28.08.22
Parliament page