General Practice Partnership Model

6. What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the partnership model in general practice.

We remain absolutely committed to the GP partnership model, which supports continuity of care, efficiency and innovation. Where it is working well, it should of course continue, but what is important is that patients are getting the care they need, regardless of the model. The GP patient survey shows that 77% now rate their experience as good. Step by step, this Government are getting the front door of the NHS—general practice—back on its hinges.

I am grateful to the Minister for that answer, but GP partnerships across rural areas such as mine in Mid Buckinghamshire face considerable uncertainty as the Government review the model for practice funding. Can the Minister be really clear about when the next steps review of the Carr-Hill formula will be published, and that rural areas such as Buckinghamshire that are facing incredible housing pressure from other Departments under this Government will not be disadvantaged?

The Carr-Hill review is ongoing and will be published very soon. On access right across the country, we have invested an extra £1.6 billion in general practice, recruited over 2,000 more GPs and extended online services throughout core hours, helping deliver 12.7 million more appointments compared with last year. More than three quarters of people now say it is easy to contact their GP, up from a very disappointing—I am sure the hon. Member will agree—61% in July 2024. When we entered office, general practice was on its knees, but we are rebuilding it, and I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the last two years.

I am very grateful to the Government for all they have done to improve the NHS. On the different models of GPs, I have a local NHS trust chain of GPs called Your Health Partnership, some of which, particularly in Oakham, have struggled to provide the right care for communities. Luckily, the Oakham surgery and its staff have done a good job to improve services. Could the Government look carefully at the different types of models for GPs to ensure good care for all constituents across the country?

My hon. Friend is a tireless advocate for her constituents, and she is absolutely right that the outcome for patients is far more important than the model. GP practices are of course regulated by the Care Quality Commission, and we expect the local ICB to take action if services are not meeting the reasonable needs of patients. I am sure she will assiduously continue to ensure that those high standards are delivered.

I know the Minister appreciates that access to GPs in rural settings is incredibly important. There was great concern when my Yorkshire dales community faced the closure of the Reeth medical practice. After a concerted effort by many, thankfully a solution was found to maintain services at Reeth. Will he join me in thanking all of those involved, especially Lynn Irwin, the Central Dales practice and everyone at the Richmondshire primary care network? Will he also welcome the ambition to in fact expand services at Reeth as a result of the collaborative partnership that the new approach has put in place?

I thank the right hon. Gentleman. I am sorry to see him on those crutches, but I hope that he will make a speedy recovery and I am sure that, under this Government, he will be greatly helped to do so.

I also pay tribute to Lynn and the team that the right hon. Gentleman mentioned. It sounds like they are doing absolutely sterling work. That is the vital role that the front door of the NHS plays. Our general practice is such an important part of our community, and he is assiduously championing its cause.

The GP patient satisfaction survey results are out, and I am really proud that the Sunderland Central and Sunderland East PCNs show a satisfaction rating of 83%—notably higher than the national average. Will the Minister join me in thanking everyone who works in primary care in Sunderland? Equally, does he recognise that there is more to do, and what does he believe is the role of primary care at scale in that? We have the Sunderland GP Alliance working across Sunderland as a whole. What is his policy intent for primary care at scale in further improving access?

I certainly join my hon. Friend in congratulating the team, and it sounds as though they are providing an absolutely outstanding service. He is right to point to primary care at scale as a way in which we can genuinely deliver the shifts from hospital to community and from sickness to prevention. That is the level of ambition we have in our 10-year plan, and it is thanks to teams such as the one he so brilliantly champions that we are going to deliver on what we said we would deliver in that plan.

The previous Health Secretary told The Times before the election:

“I’m minded to phase out the whole system of GP partners altogether and to look at salaried GPs working in modern practices alongside a range of other professionals.”

He later clarified, saying he would “sort of” phase it out over time. He has now gone, but is that perspective shared by the new Health Secretary?

I refer the hon. Gentleman to my previous answer. We remain absolutely committed to the partnership model, but we are also absolutely committed to quality and standards for patient outcomes. It is about delivering the outcomes that patients need. The way in which we do that is of secondary importance to the actual delivery of quality outputs and outcomes for patients.

I call Steve Darling. [Interruption.] Oh, I am sorry—I do apologise—but there is a second question from Dr Luke Evans.

I am very grateful to you, Mr Speaker, for giving the time. I thank the Minister for his answer, but he did not quite clarify the position. I have asked him this question before, in a Westminster Hall debate. He said:

“I do not think it is right to say that there are any specific plans to change the partnership model, but we recognise that there are a number of other ways, and we will always keep the way in which the contract is delivered under review.”—[Official Report, 25 June 2025; Vol. 769, c. 293WH.]

Given the profession is looking at balloting for a plan B for general practice akin to NHS dentistry, will the Minister clarify whether this model is under consideration by the Government?

Well, thank you, Mr Speaker, for giving the hon. Gentleman the opportunity to ask that second question. I am absolutely delighted that you did that. [Laughter.]

Missing from both of the hon. Gentleman’s questions were any congratulations on the Government’s outstanding achievement. When we came into office, 61% were satisfied with access to their GPs. That now stands at a stunning 77%. I am still waiting for the words of congratulation from the hon. Gentleman. As I say, there is no attempt to change the model. There is a partnership model that works, but where it is not working, we of course look at other options. He seems to be obsessed with the inputs to the system, rather than the quality of the outcomes we deliver. That perhaps explains why there was so much neglect and incompetence over 14 years of Conservative government.