Separately, nearly £300m of existing funding will be ringfenced and diverted into GP practices as part of plans to recruit additional GPs, or increase sessions undertaken by GPs already hired at the practice, as government continues to tackle both GP unemployment as well as underemployment. This is equal to around 1,600 (full-time equivalent) GPs across England.

In a boost for the workforce, experienced GPs will be able to be recruited through the Additional Roles and Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS), rather than just newly-qualified doctors.

Other key measures from the contract include:

• More babies and children to be protected from deadly viruses with incentives for GP immunisations
• GPs will help identify thousands of patients for referral through better data sharing with the Lung Cancer Screening Programme
• Patients with severe obesity and comorbidities will be supported by their GP to access weight loss support programmes and jabs, under £25m programme
• In addition to telephone and walk-in access, online consultation systems will be required to continue staying open throughout core hours (from 8am to 6:30pm, Monday to Friday) so patients can contact their GP digitally during working hours
• Advice and guidance to be embedded in GP contract so patients are referred to the right place and the right time
• GPs will be required to identify and prioritise patients for continuity of care
• From October 2025 the government rolled out online requests at GP practices across England, allowing patients better access to contact their GP online during core hours.

Health secretary, Wes Streeting, said: ‘Through this government's investment and modernisation, we're fixing the front door to the NHS.

‘We're giving practices the flexibility to hire more GPs, and backing them with extra funding to do so. As a result, many more patients with urgent needs will be able to get an appointment the day they contact their practice.

‘Taken together, our changes will help patients stay healthy and out of hospital, whether it's jabs for children, screening for lung cancer, weight loss support, or continuity of care – we're backing our GPs to build a healthier nation.'

Amanda Doyle, national director for primary care and community services at NHS England, said: ‘While GP teams are already delivering over 1.4m appointments every working day, ringfencing £292m will allow practices to recruit more GPs and strengthen the care they provide.

‘We've also upgraded thousands of practice phone systems and introduced online request forms, making it easier for people to contact their surgery in a way that suits them, while keeping phone lines free for those who need urgent care.'

The government consulted with the BMA General Practice Committee England, as well as wider stakeholders, including the Royal College of General Practitioners, National Voices, Institute of General Practice Management, Healthwatch England, NHS Confederation and National Association of Primary Care.

The new contract brings the total increase in spending on primary care under this government to £1.6bn in total in two years, following through on the government's commitment to fix the front door of the NHS and shift the focus of the NHS out of hospital and into the community.

The new GP contract for 2026 to 2027 will come into force from 1 April.

Reaction

Professor Victoria Tzortziou Brown, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: ‘The new contract contains some steps forward in tackling the workforce crisis in general practice, but we can and should go further to ensure general practice is ready to support ambitions to deliver more care close to home.  

‘The only way to boost access to general practice is by having more GPs on the ground to deliver the care that patients need and the contract indicates an intention to shift funding to allow practices to hire additional GPs or fund additional sessions. ‘

She added: ‘The additional funding should also help address the nonsensical GP unemployment and underemployment issues the College has been highlighting over the last year. It's good to see that these roles will be funded and delivered at practice level, allowing practices to take on the roles they need. However, we will also need to see continued, significant workforce investment beyond this funding if we are to bring patient to GP ratios - which are currently 15% higher than in 2015 - down to safer levels.'

Prof Brown said: ‘There are other important changes in the contract that will require careful consideration and implementation. Some of the QOF and vaccination changes appear logical but have potentially significant resource implications. We also need to be cautious of how advice and guidance is integrated into the GP contract and the implementation of a ‘single point of access' for all specialist referrals. Our members have raised concerns over how its use varies across the country, how delays and potentially blocked referrals can jeopardise patient safety, and how it can push workload from secondary to primary care without clear resourcing, consistent clinical governance, or sufficient consideration of the downstream consequences for capacity and care quality. 

 

‘If care and activity are to be transferred from hospital settings into the community, this must be accompanied by fully costed pathway redesign, clear accountability, and funding that demonstrably follows the work. General practice cannot continue to absorb additional clinical responsibility without the resources required to deliver it safely. It is crucial that the funding matches workload and increases in line with these new processes.'

Dr Duncan Gooch, GP and chair of the Primary Care Network at the NHS Confederation, said: ‘We welcome the additional investment in primary care and the clear intent to stabilise core general practice through funding and streamlining unnecessary workload. After years of sustained pressure, these commitments are both necessary and overdue.

‘Primary Care Networks and GP Federations may be concerned to see a continued erosion of funding for at-scale provision to improve access and patient experience. Strong, at-scale infrastructure is not a 'nice-to-have' - it is absolutely essential now and for the future if neighbourhood health services are to be delivered effectively, sustainably and equitably.'

Henry Gregg, chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association, said: ‘It's disappointing to see a formal contract offer announced for GP colleagues before the government have even begun consultations for community pharmacies.

‘With just 37 days to go to the start of April and the new financial year, the clock is ticking. Pharmacies are still left in the dark as to how they will meet looming cost increases being imposed on them. As equal members of the primary care family, they need certainty so they can plan and invest for the year ahead to deliver vital services for their patients.'