NEW GP CONTRACT FAILED TO DELIVER ON GOVERNMENT PROMISE

12.00.00am GMT Thu 9th Oct 2008

Sutton and Cheam MP, Paul Burstow, has raised concerns about the impact of the new GP contract. The local MP took part in an inquiry into the contract held by the Public Accounts Committee.

The report published today (9th October) is based on an evidence provided by the Department of Health and the NHS. The Committee looked at the contract negotiations, the cost implications, and the extent to which the expected benefits for patients and the NHS are being realised.

Paul Burstow MP said: "For most people their GP is the first point of contact with the NHS. The new contract was meant to deliver benefits by linking GPs' pay to their clinical performance. The evidence seen by the committee demonstrated that while there has been progress it has not lived up to expectations.

"The new contract helped to stabilise the profession, stemming the flow of GPs out of the profession. But the new points based system has led to an overspend of £1.8 billion over the first three years.

"People want to have easy access to a GP. The new contract allowed GPs to opt out of out of hours care and the Department of Health got its figures completely wrong when it estimated the cost of providing out-of hours care.

"We found that in general practices are not being opened longer or at more convenient times for patients. Recent improvements in opening hours have come at a cost.

"The new contracts enable Primary Care Trusts to negotiate with GPs the provision of enhanced services to meet the needs of the local population. So far, very few have done so."

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Around 33,000 GPs hold some 290 million consultations each year, with GP services costing some £7.7 billion, almost 10% of all NHS expenditure. In 2000, the Department determined that many of its planned improvements in primary care were unlikely to be achieved without a new contract for general practice. Fully implemented in April 2004, the new contract is intended to attract more doctors into general practice through better pay and improved conditions. The NHS is expected to benefit by linking GPs' pay to their clinical performance and by improved accessibility to services through more flexible working.

The NHS has realised some but not all of the benefits from the new contract. Over the first three years, the contract cost £1.8 billion more than originally expected because the Department underestimated the cost of delivering services such as out-of-hours care. The level of GP performance, as measured by the Quality and Outcomes Framework, also exceeded estimates and led to additional expenditure. The Department believes the cost of the contract is now under closer control and that by the end of 2008 it will have recovered any overspend.