General Practitioners: Employers' Contributions

We are investing an additional £889 million in general practices (GPs) to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade, and we are pleased that the General Practitioners Committee England is supportive of the contract changes. GPs are independent contractors, so the application of any non-ringfenced funding they receive via the contract is at their discretion, to best meet the demand of their patients.

Some elements of the £889 million investment have been specified or ringfenced. £228 million has been made available for pay uplifts. A further £176 million has been provided for Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme staff, which now includes GPs and practice nurses, and is worth £1.7 billion in 2025/26. In addition, we estimate that £13.2 million will be used to uplift locum reimbursement rates, which were agreed as part of the contract. Additionally, we are accepting the Doctors’ and Dentists’ Pay Review Body’s recommendation of a 4% increase to the pay element of the GP Contract, backdated to 1 April 2025. This will mean an increase in the £889 million contract investment, which was based on a 2.8% pay assumption.

£17.8 million has been used to increase the item of service fee for routine childhood vaccinations, and in addition to the £889 million, a further £80 million has been provided to support patient services through the advice and guidance enhanced service.