Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve GP appointment availability in regions with rising demand.

We have invested an additional £1.1 billion in GPs to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, the largest increase in over a decade. Of this, £160 million has been directed to employ more GPs via the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme which has given additional flexibilities to recruit 2,500 new GPs into primary care networks across England. Additionally, the new £102 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund will create additional clinical space within over 1,000 GPs across England to deliver 8.3 million more appointments each year.

In the twelve months leading up to September 2025, our efforts have resulted in 10.6 million more appointments compared to the previous year, a clear demonstration of our commitment to enhancing access for patients and supporting the future of GPs.

The review of the GP funding formula, the Carr-Hill formula, is being conducted by the National Institute for Health and Care Research. The purpose of the review is to ensure that funding for GPs is distributed equitably and is targeted towards areas that need it most. The review will consider unavoidable costs based on geographical areas.