Gout: Health Services

We know how important it is that patients with gout receive the care they need from their general practices (GPs) and secondary care.

We want to make it easier for patients to see a GP when they need to. In October 2024, we provided an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, enabling the recruitment of 1,000 newly qualified GPs across England. This will increase the number of GP appointments delivered, benefitting thousands of patients that are struggling to get the care they desperately need, including those with gout.

We are committed to moving towards a Neighbourhood Health Service, with more care delivered in local communities to spot problems earlier, and we will also bring back the family doctor, by incentivising GPs to see the same patient, so ongoing or complex conditions are dealt with effectively. In doing so, we will improve continuity of care, which is associated with better health outcomes, and will improve patient health and care as a result.

Tackling waiting lists, including for those waiting for rheumatology treatment, is a key part of our Health Mission. The Elective Reform Plan, launched as part of the Government’s Plan for Change, sets out how we will get back to the NHS Constitutional Standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment by the end of this Parliament, and will also ensure that patients have the best possible experience of care.