Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Integrated Care Boards receive adequate funding to improve access to GP services in rural areas.

NHS England is responsible for funding allocations to integrated care boards (ICBs). In allocating budgets, it has two aims: equal opportunity of access for equal need, and reducing health inequalities. This process is independent of government, and NHS England takes advice on the underlying formula from the independent Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation.

General practices receive ‘global sum’ funding for providing core services, comprising approximately 50-60% of practice income. The global sum is a capitated payment calculated based on the size of a practice’s registered list of patients, weighted using the Carr-Hill formula. Through the Carr-Hill formula, payments to practices are adjusted in consideration of several factors, including geographical location of a practice. This includes accounting for the additional costs of delivering services in rural areas, and in areas where staff costs are higher.

Although practices receive most of their funding through the contract, after contract payments have been made, ICBs can also use remaining funds from their primary care allocation as discretionary spend for general practice. ICBs can also opt to use their wider funding outside of their primary care allocation to invest in general practice services. This can be directed to best address local need, as determined by the ICB.