Home / Health / New GP Contract: Patient Access to Specialists at Risk?
New GP Contract: Patient Access to Specialists at Risk?
18 Mar
Summary
- New GP contract starts April 1, potentially impacting patient referrals.
- Government adds £485 million to boost primary care capacity.
- Expert warns of increased difficulty in obtaining specialist referrals.
A significant overhaul of the General Practitioner (GP) contract is set to take effect on April 1, 2026, with potential implications for patient access to specialist care. The government asserts that these changes will enhance primary care services, backed by an injection of £485 million to boost capacity.
Journalist and author Penny Parkes has voiced concerns, suggesting the reforms may complicate the referral process. The new system will reportedly increase reliance on "advice and guidance" between GPs and specialists, a method intended to reduce outpatient waiting lists.
Parkes highlights potential drawbacks, including the possibility of increased difficulty in obtaining a GP appointment and concerns about implicit bias being passed along in the "advice and guidance" exchanges.
She specifically notes potential negative impacts on women and complex patients, whose symptoms may be more easily dismissed in this new system. The government maintains that urgent cases will have same-day access and £300 million is ringfenced for recruiting more GPs.
