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 implications for his policies of the recent advice from the British Medical Association to stop engaging with advice and guidance pathways.

The Government is committed to delivering on its commitment in the recently published Elective Reform Plan to increase the use of Advice and Guidance by general practitioners (GPs), where appropriate, to support them to deliver high-quality patient care. The plan commits to paying GPs £20 per Advice and Guidance request in recognition of the fact that whilst it is a clinically helpful when used in the right circumstances, it can be time consuming.

The consultation on the 2025/26 GP Contract has started with the General Practitioners Committee in England, of the British Medical Association, and a range of proposals will be considered, including Advice and Guidance arrangements. Ensuring Advice and Guidance arrangements are agreed as part of GP Contract negotiations is fundamental to ensuring that patients receive the right care, in the right clinical setting.