The UK Government and the British Medical Association (BMA) have reached an agreement on reforms to general practitioner (GP) contracts, aiming to enhance patient access to healthcare services.
The new deal will provide the largest funding increase for general practice in recent years.
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As of October 2025, the new contract will see GP surgeries be required to offer online appointment booking throughout working hours, which is expected to alleviate phone congestion and enable easier patient triage based on medical needs. The deal also aims to eliminate numerous unnecessary targets to reduce the administrative burden on GPs.
Patients will also receive clearer information about the expected care, via an online patient charter.
This initiative is part of the government’s Plan for Change, designed to make general practice more future-proof and to improve appointment access.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Rebuilding the broken NHS starts with GPs. Patients need to be able to easily book an appointment, in the manner they want, with their regular doctor if they choose.”
The reforms will be supported by an additional £889m ($1.11bn) investment, increasing the total GP contract funding to £13.2bn by the 2025/2026 financial year.
The raised GP contract budget supports the transition from hospital-based to community-based care.
Approximately half of the existing targets (32 out of 76) that GPs are currently required to report on will be removed.
GPs will receive incentives to ensure continuity of care by identifying patients who would benefit from seeing the same doctor consistently.
Furthermore, they will be encouraged to consult with specialists before making hospital referrals.
Up to £80m in funding will be allocated for doctors to seek specialist advice, potentially reducing unnecessary additions to waiting lists and alleviating pressure on accident and emergency (A&E) services.
