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 increased National Insurance costs on GP practices in (a) Essex and (b) South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

We have made necessary decisions to fix the foundations of the public finances in the Autumn Budget. Resource spending for the Department will be £22.6 billion more in 2025/26 than in 2023/24, as part of the Spending Review settlement. The employers’ National Insurance rise will be implemented in April 2025.

Primary care providers, including general practices (GPs), are valued independent contractors who provide almost £20 billion worth of services in the National Health Service. Every year, we consult with each sector both about what services they provide, and the money that providers are entitled to in return under their contract.

We are investing an additional £889 million in GPs to reinforce the front door of the NHS, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade. We are pleased that the England general practitioners committee of the British Medical Association is supportive of the contract changes.