Biggest Investment in UK General Practice in a Decade – What It Means for You
For the first time in over a decade, NHS general practice is receiving a major financial boost, designed to tackle increasing patient demand, workforce shortages, and digital transformation. The 2025/26 GP contract delivers a 7.2% funding uplift (£889 million), bringing the total investment in primary care to £13.1 billion.
But how does this impact GPs, practice staff, and patients? Let’s break it down.
Financial Enhancements – More Money, but Where’s It Going?
The headline 7.2% increase in funding is a step in the right direction, but how will this be distributed? Here’s what’s changing:
✅ £80 million allocated for advice & guidance services – Enhancing specialist support and reducing unnecessary referrals.
✅ Childhood vaccination fees increased from £10.06 to £12.06 – A welcome change to boost immunisation uptake.
✅ Higher locum reimbursement rates – Helping practices cover temporary staff more effectively.
👉 What does this mean for us?
While the funding increase is significant, many GPs will feel it’s still playing catch-up after years of real-term cuts. However, higher locum rates and improved vaccination payments could ease financial pressures on practices struggling with demand.
QOF Simplification – A More Streamlined System?
The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) has long been criticised for being overly complex and burdensome. The 2025/26 contract simplifies QOF, focusing more on cardiovascular disease prevention:
🔹 212 QOF points (£298m) retired from 32 indicators, reducing unnecessary admin.
🔹 141 points shifted to cardiovascular disease prevention, supporting long-term NHS priorities.
🔹 71 points removed, with funding moved to the Global Sum, ensuring payments aren’t lost.
What does this mean for us?
This change reduces bureaucracy, allowing GPs and practice teams to spend more time with patients rather than chasing unnecessary targets. However, shifting focus to cardiovascular disease means practices will need to adapt workflows to meet new priorities.
Digital Access & Online Consultation Changes – Are We Ready?
The NHS is pushing forward with digital-first care, ensuring greater patient accessibility:
Online consultation tools must remain open during core hours (8 AM – 6:30 PM) by October 2025.
Practices must publish a Patient Charter outlining what patients can expect in terms of access and response times.
GP Connect to be enabled by October 2025, ensuring better interoperability between systems.
What does this mean for us?
For tech-savvy practices, this won’t be a huge adjustment. But for those struggling with underfunded IT systems or staffing shortages, keeping online consultations available all day may be a challenge. GP Connect’s rollout could improve patient record sharing, but its success depends on how well it integrates with existing EMIS and SystmOne setups.
Workforce Flexibility & ARRS Funding – A Real Game-Changer?
One of the biggest frustrations in primary care has been recruitment and funding constraints. The 2025/26 contract merges ARRS (Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme) funding into a single pot, making it more flexible.
🔹 ARRS funding is now pooled, meaning practices can allocate it based on their own needs.
🔹 GP reimbursement via ARRS increased from £73,113 to £82,418, making it more attractive.
🔹 Practice nurses are now eligible for ARRS funding, expanding the workforce support.
What does this mean for us?
The flexibility in ARRS funding is a big win. Practices can now hire staff that suit their needs, rather than being forced into rigid categories. Expanding ARRS to practice nurses also helps address the GP workforce crisis by enhancing multidisciplinary teams.
However, the real challenge remains recruitment. Funding is one thing—but will enough staff be available to fill these roles?
Final Thoughts – What’s the Real Impact?
The 2025/26 GP contract is the biggest investment in primary care in a decade, but is it enough?
✅ Funding increase – A welcome change, but it still doesn’t fully offset past underfunding.
✅ QOF simplification – Less admin, more focus on prevention.
✅ Digital access improvements – Good in theory, but will all practices cope?
✅ ARRS flexibility – More control over workforce planning, but recruitment remains a challenge.
What does this mean for GPs and practice teams?
- More money in the system, but rising costs and workload mean it may not feel like a real pay rise.
- Less paperwork and more patient care, but practices need to adjust to new cardiovascular targets.
- Better digital access, but practices must prepare for system changes and increased demand.
- More workforce funding, but recruitment and retention remain the biggest obstacles.
What Should You Do Next?
🔹 Review your practice’s digital setup – Are you ready for online consultations during core hours?
🔹 Assess QOF changes – How will your cardiovascular disease prevention strategies need to shift?
🔹 Explore ARRS flexibility – Can your practice hire the right staff to reduce GP workload?
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Find out more about Changes to the GP contract in 2025/26