Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of increases in employer National Insurance contributions on primary care providers in West Dorset constituency.

We have made the necessary decisions to fix the foundations of the public finances at the Autumn Budget. Resource spending for the Department will be £22.6billion more in 2025/26 than in 2023/24, as part of the Spending Review settlement. The employers’ National Insurance rise was implemented in April 2025.

Primary care providers are valued independent contractors. Every year we consult with each sector both about what services they provide, and the money providers are entitled to in return under their contract. Operating costs for these providers are taken into account as a part of this process.