GPs warn patients will feel cuts amid rises in costs

Dr Rachel Rutter calls for a "fast and immediate response from central government"

GPs fear they could have to cut services or close amid a string of government rises.

Increases in National Insurance and the minimum living wage announced in the Budget are causing "significant concern" for GPs in Gloucestershire.

The NHS is exempt from tax rises - but that does not cover General Practice. Leaders of one larger GP in the county have estimated the changes will cost them "£100,000 a year".

The Department for Health and Social Care said it "will ensure practices have the resources they need to offer patients the highest quality care".

Dr Rachel Rutter is a GP in Gloucestershire and treasurer of the Local Medical Committee (LMC) in the county.

"It's really worrying, each practice is going to have to look at what they are going to cut and those cuts will have a knock on effect to patient care," she said.

'GPs feel underappreciated'

She wants to see "increases in core funding or recognition that they are an NHS body and so qualify for exemptions".

"Without this, some practices may be forced to close," she added.

With moral amongst GPs in the county already "challenged", some feel the government is not appreciating services GPs provide to patients", added Dr Rutter.

'Financial pressure and risk'

Echoing the same concerns is Nicola Wright, chief executive of Gloucestershire's LMC.

"GPs are working exceptionally hard, harder than they have ever worked before but these rises in costs will have to directly come out of GP partner income," Ms Wright said.

Between December 2022 and July 2024, the number of GP partners dropped by almost 30%.

Ms Wright said it is because "trainee GPs aren't keen to become partners due to the financial pressure and risk".

A spokesperson for the Department for Health and Social Care said "tough decisions" were made to pay for the £22bn boost for the NHS and social care.

"The employer national insurance rise doesn’t kick in until April, and we will set out further details on allocation of funding for next year in due course.

“We will also hire an extra 1,000 GPs into the NHS by the end of this year," they added.

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