March 2025 Noticeboard

GPCE Update:

Dear all

GPC England has agreed in principle to accept the proposed amendments to the 2025/26 GMS contract, following two months of intense negotiations with the Government.  

At a GPCE meeting held yesterday, the committee agreed to accept proposed changes for 25/26 – including an overall funding uplift of £889 million – contingent on the Government committing to re-negotiating a new national contract within this Parliament. We have stipulated that this commitment must be confirmed in writing ahead of the Special LMC Conference on Wednesday, 19 March 2025. 

The changes for 2025/26 will provide a 7.2% cash growth in contract funding, including: 

• Almost £800m national funding into the GMS Global Sum to help cover rising costs - including staff and premises expenses and patient list growth
• A relaxation of rules around the PCN direct enhanced service so that constituent practices can choose which roles to employ from their additional role staff budgets, rather than having this centrally determined
• A £2 increase in the Item of Service fee for routine childhood vaccinations
• An additional £80 million investment - separate from the overall £889 million funding uplift - for a new Enhanced Service that compensates GPs for delivering Advice and Guidance request.

We believe that these reforms represent an important first step on the journey towards rebuilding general practice after years of underfunding.

Funding will remain allocated to PCNs for the ARRS, but the Government has agreed that GPs employed under the scheme will now be paid in line with the BMA's recommended salary range. The Government will also remove the cap on the number of GPs that can be employed through the scheme, which they hope will go some way in reducing GP unemployment and accelerating workload growth. We have made it clear that this is an acceptable short-term fix, but we expect to discuss and agree a medium to long-term practice-level employment solution in the coming months.

Among other changes is a DHSC assumption of funding to cover pay increases, subject to review following Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration (DDRB) recommendations. GPCE has submitted extensive evidence to the DDRB confirming that a significantly higher uplift than the DHSC assumption is required.

Read more about the changes: GP contract 2024/25 changes

Read the press release and statement from Katie: BMA accepts 2025/26 contract for GPs in England as a ‘starting point’ - BMA media centre - BMA

Best wishes

Cat

GPDF Update:

Collective Action Update:

GPCE Update: