Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of increases to employers National Insurance contributions on the (a) retention and (b) recruitment of nurses in GP surgeries.

We have made the necessary decisions to fix the foundations of the public finances in the Autumn Budget. The employers’ National Insurance rise will be implemented in April 2025. We will set out further details on the allocation of funding for next year in due course.

Primary care providers, including general practitioners (GPs), are valued independent contractors that provide nearly £20 billion worth of National Health Services. Every year we consult with each contracted sector about the services it provides, and the money providers are entitled to in return. As in previous years, this issue will be dealt with as part of that process. We will shortly begin discussions on the annual GP Contract.