The UK Government has announced the recruitment of an additional 1,503 general practitioners (GPs) since 1 October 2024, as part of its Plan for Change to alleviate the pressure on GPs and reduce patient waiting lists.
The recruitment is expected to help eliminate the daily 8am scramble for appointments faced by many patients.
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Red tape previously hindered the hiring of newly qualified GPs, which could have led to over a thousand graduates facing unemployment.
The number of fully qualified GPs had also decreased by 1,399 compared to ten years earlier.
The government’s intervention, which included an additional £82m ($104.84m) investment, has enabled practice networks to employ these GPs, with continued funding secured in the recent Budget announcement.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Rebuilding our broken NHS starts with fixing the front door. We inherited a ludicrous situation where patients couldn’t get a GP appointment, while GPs couldn’t get a job.
“By cutting red tape and investing more in our NHS, we have put an extra 1,503 GPs into general practice to deliver more appointments.”
The Chancellor’s decisions during the Budget have been instrumental in providing almost £26bn to revitalise the NHS and prepare it for the future.
This funding has facilitated the recruitment of additional GPs.
Last year, GPs were included in the additional roles reimbursement scheme (ARRS), accelerating the recruitment process through primary care networks (PCNs).
The government has also announced an increase in GP funding for 2025-2026, with an additional £889m allocated to general practice.
Alongside the financial investment, the government is implementing reforms to modernise general practice.
From October, GP surgeries will be required to offer online appointment booking throughout working hours.
This measure is intended to ease phone line congestion and enable practices to triage patients based on medical needs.
The recruitment drive complements the government’s earlier announcement of a timetable and confirmed funding for the New Hospital Programme, which focuses on delivering key healthcare infrastructure projects.
