GP practices in lower-income neighborhoods are set to receive increased funding from the government as part of a significant overhaul of the NHS. A review will be launched by ministers to address the issue of unequal healthcare delivery that has persisted during the past decade of Conservative governance. This phenomenon, known as “inverse care,” results in areas with the greatest health needs receiving substandard NHS services. Typically, poorer communities, where life expectancy is lower, have fewer GPs, underperforming hospitals, and longer wait times within the NHS.
The current funding model for GP practices favors regions with a higher concentration of elderly residents, which tend to be more affluent. Care minister Stephen Kinnock will introduce plans to redirect more funding to GP practices in deprived communities and neglected coastal areas. The announcement will be made at the Royal College of GPs’ annual primary care conference in Newport.
Kinnock emphasized the necessity of updating the outdated GP funding allocation system to address the disparities experienced by deprived areas and coastal communities. The goal is to ensure that all communities receive equitable healthcare and to eliminate discrepancies in care quality. Currently, GP surgeries in working-class areas receive 10% less funding per patient on average compared to practices in wealthier regions. Data from the Royal College of GPs reveals that practices in impoverished areas manage around 300 more patients per GP than those in affluent areas.
NHS England’s primary care director, Dr. Amanda Doyle, stressed the importance of allocating resources fairly to GP practices serving underprivileged communities, where health challenges are most pronounced. By modernizing GP funding for the first time in two decades, the NHS aims to better support individuals in need of care.
A survey of GP patients indicates that individuals in the most deprived areas struggle the most to contact their GP through traditional and digital means. The government plans to reassess how health needs are prioritized in funding distribution. The current funding formula, known as the Carr-Hill formula, relies on outdated data and workload projections to determine funding allocations for GP practices across England.
Jacob Lant, CEO of the National Voices coalition, emphasized the significance of reviewing the Carr-Hill formula to reduce health inequalities and ensure fair access to healthcare services. Some regions in the UK are faced with a severe shortage of GPs, with over 3,000 patients per GP. For instance, Thurrock in Essex has the highest GP-to-patient ratio, with 3,431 patients per GP. Other areas experiencing high patient loads include Leicester, Blackburn with Darwen, Luton, Milton Keynes, and Portsmouth.
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