Select Committee · Health and Social Care Committee

The future of General Practice

Status: Closed Opened: 16 Nov 2021 Closed: 24 Jul 2023 20 recommendations 25 conclusions 1 report

The Committee has launched a new inquiry to explore the future of NHS general practice, examining the key challenges facing general practice over the next five years as well as the biggest current and ongoing barriers to access to general practice. General practice has seen significant changes in recent years, such as the development of …

Reports

1 report

Title	HC No.	Published	Items	Response
Fourth Report - The future of general practice	HC 113	20 Oct 2022	45	Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

3 items

22 Conclusion Fourth Report - The future of general p… Acknowledged

All patients benefit from continuity of care, even without expressed preference for it.

We recognise that continuity of care is valued differently by different patients. However, just because a patient does not necessarily express a preference for continuity of care, it does not mean that they will not benefit from receiving it. It is clearly the case that even a patient who is …

Government response. The government partially accepts, agreeing on the importance of collecting outcomes data. It commits to look at ways to strengthen data collection and monitoring of outcomes as part of the planned Quality and Outcomes Framework consultation during 2023/24.

Department of Health and Social Care

37 Conclusion Fourth Report - The future of general p… Acknowledged

Unfair primary care funding mechanisms exacerbate pressures in deprived areas and entrench regional variation.

It is unacceptable that areas already under significant pressure due to high levels of deprivation, ill health and under-doctoring have these pressures compounded by unfair funding mechanisms which fail to take account of deprivation. It is particularly concerning that new funding mechanisms in the Primary Care Network contract repeat this …

Government response. The government partially accepts, acknowledging that NHS England keeps funding mechanisms like the Carr-Hill formula under review for appropriate weighting, but clarifies it will not be changed during the current five-year contract.

Department of Health and Social Care

41 Conclusion Fourth Report - The future of general p… Acknowledged

GP partners faced regrettable uncertainty, now reassured Government will maintain partnership model.

It is regrettable that during a time of intense pressure for GPs, following a massive effort by GPs to lead the vital covid-19 vaccination programme, that GP partners were subjected to such open speculation and uncertainty about their futures. It is welcome that the Government and NHS England have confirmed …

Government response. The government partially accepts by reaffirming there is no policy to abolish the GP partnership model, noting past investments, and expressing support for diverse primary care provision models.

Department of Health and Social Care

Oral evidence sessions

4 sessions

Date	Witnesses
12 Jul 2022	Dr Amanda Doyle · NHS England, Dr Nikki Kanani · NHS England, James Morris MP · Department of Health and Social Care, Matthew Style · Department of Health and Social Care	View ↗
14 Jun 2022	Beccy Baird · King's Fund, Dr Margaret Ikpoh · Royal College of General Practitioners, Dr Peter Holden · Imperial Road Surgery, Mrs Heather Randle · Royal College of Nursing, Professor Mike Holmes · Haxby Group, Sir Robert Francis QC · HealthWatch England	View ↗
18 May 2022	Dr Jacob Lee · Horfield Health Centre, Dr Kate Sidaway-Lee · St Leonard's Medical Practice, Dr Pauline Grant · Cheviot Road Surgery, Dr Rebecca Rosen · Nuffield Trust, Professor Steinar Hunskår · University of Bergen	View ↗
15 Mar 2022	Dr Andrew Green, Retired GP, Dr Becks Fisher · The Health Foundation, Dr Kate Fallon · Somerton House Surgery, Dr Kieran Sharrock · British Medical Association (BMA), Professor Martin Marshall · Royal College of General Practitioners	View ↗

Correspondence

2 letters

Date	Direction	Title
11 Jan 2023	To cttee	Letter from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Primary Care and Pub…
6 Sep 2022	—	Correspondence from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Primary Care…