Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with the Health Services Safety Investigations Body, Care Quality Commission, Healthwatch and Royal College of GPs on changes to the GP contract regarding Advice and Guidance.

In early 2026, we concluded the 2026/27 GP Contract consultation. This year, we expanded the consultation to engage with wider stakeholders, which were the General Practitioners Committee England, the Royal College of General Practitioners, National Voices, the Institute of General Practice Management, Healthwatch England, the NHS Confederation, and the National Association of Primary Care. The feedback we received from stakeholders across the system has been constructive and comprehensive, enabling us to refine proposals and address concerns while developing the final contract package.

Embedding Advice and Guidance in the contract is about ensuring general practitioners and specialists can work together earlier and more consistently, so patients are directed to the most appropriate next step without unnecessary delay, whether that is a referral, diagnostics, or supported care in the community.

Last year, we invested £80 million in Advice and Guidance. We are now embedding this money in core contract funding. As a result, since April 2025, we have avoided 1.3 million patients ending up on a waiting list.

The Department has not discussed the changes to the GP Contract regarding Advice and Guidance with the Health Services Safety Investigations Body, and the Care Quality Commission.