Source · Select Committees · Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 5
5
Deferred
Paragraph: 39
Provide funding for 1,000 additional GP training places and extend the scheme to four years.
Recommendation
The Government should provide the funding necessary to create 1,000 additional GP training places per year and consider extending the GP training scheme to four years, to allow GP trainees more time to develop their skills in practice as well as learn the skills required to enter a GP partnership.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government partially accepts but redirects the focus from increasing GP training places and extending training duration to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS). It commits to increasing ARRS flexibility by adding new reimbursable roles, increasing caps on Advanced Practitioners, and removing caps on Mental Health Practitioners as part of the March 2023 GP contract changes.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
39
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government · verbatim extract
Deferred
Partially accept. The Department partially accepts this recommendation. The Department recognises the importance of the future pipeline of GPs, which is critical for growing the number of doctors in general practice. This is why we have taken steps to expand the number of GP speciality training places to 4,000 per year from 2021 (increased from under 2,700 in 2014), with a record-breaking 4,032 doctors accepting a place on GP speciality training this year. The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan has set an ambition to increase the number of GP training places by 50% from 4,000 to 6,000 by 2031/32, with the first 500 new places available from September 2025. To give doctors in GP training more time to develop their skills in general practice, we are increasing the proportion of the training programme spent in general practice, from 18 to 24 months (reducing the time that trainees spend outside general practice to 12 months). This will grow the number of doctors in general practice providing direct patient care, and better prepare doctors for their career in general practice. The General Practice Fellowship scheme also provides a two-year programme of support for all newly qualified GPs working in general practice. Participants receive an experienced GP mentor and funded continuous professional development opportunities to develop experience and support their transition into the general practice workforce. There is no plan to extend GP training beyond three years. We recognise that skills required to enter partnership are important for recruiting more GP partners. However, GP specialty training is not the appropriate setting for aspiring partners to develop the skills required to enter GP partnerships, as this could delay doctors completing training and taking a substantive role in general practice. In addition, it may not be suitable for all doctors in training, particularly as it could dissuade some doctors from undertaking GP training. Primary care training hubs can direct qualified GPs to local training opportunities, as they do more broadly for all practice and PCN staff.
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