General Practitioners: Rural Areas
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps will be taken to consider rural GP practices in the review of the Carr-Hill formula.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock
Phase one of the Carr-Hill review concluded on 31 March, with work currently under way to review options presented by the review team for reforming the formula. Given the complexity of the currently funding model, any changes to the formula will be given careful consideration. Subject to ministerial agreement to the recommendations of the review, the technical development of the new formula will begin. There is currently no confirmed timetable for the conclusion of the next stage of the review.
Findings from the review will be published in due course by the National Institute for Health and Care Research and Members of Parliament will be updated once the review findings are available.
The purpose of the review is to ensure that funding for general practice is distributed equitably and is targeted towards areas that need it most. As part of this, the review has given consideration to the unavoidable costs based on geographical areas, including delivering services in rural areas.
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