In a new report the health charity finds GP funding has failed to keep pace with hospital spending in the last 10 years and threatens the Government's shift to neighbourhood health.

Dr Luisa Pettigrew, senior policy fellow at The Health Foundation, said: ‘A clear, multi-year commitment to increasing investment is needed, alongside a review of all funding flows into general practice and of how they are used to ensure that funding is allocated fairly and efficiently.'

While the report acknowledges a boost in funding for GP contracts in 2025/26 and 2026/27, it reveals that, between 2015/16 and 2024/25, the proportion of money spent by NHS England and ICBs on primary medical care fell from 8.8% to 8.3%. Over the same period, the share spent on acute services, such as hospitals, increased from 38.4% to 42.6%.

It warns the introduction of Integrated Health Organisations – most likely to be led by large NHS trusts – risk shifting the focus back towards hospitals.

The report shows the amount allocated to general practice per patient per year is substantially below the average cost of a single ambulance or emergency care episode.

Furthermore, the report also calls for a review of all general practice funding streams, warning they may contribute to inequities despite the Carr-Hill formula, which is designed to direct funding to practices in deprived areas and rural communities.

The Carr-Hill formula, which accounts for three fifths of payments made to practices, is currently undergoing a review.

The report also shows income per session for GP contractors' – also known as partners – was nearly double that of salaried GPs.

In addition, it reveals a gender pay gap, disadvantaging female GPs, exists among both contractor and salaried GPs even after accounting for reported working hours.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘General practice is central to the neighbourhood health model, which is why we've invested £1.7bn over the past two years to rebuild the sector, and recruited 2,000 extra family doctors.

‘But we have always been clear that for patients to see improvements, investment must go hand-in-hand with modernisation. That's why we're rolling out game changing online access and same-day urgent appointments, and cutting red tape so doctors can spend more of their time treating patients.'