General Practitioners: Insurance

(asked on 7th July 2017) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will subsidise GP's indemnity costs; and if he will make a statement.


Answered by
Philip Dunne Portrait
Philip Dunne
This question was answered on 17th July 2017

The cost of indemnity to general practitioners (GPs) is already recognised as a business expense, and reflected in the sums received by GP practices via the GP contract. In recognition of the rising costs of indemnity, NHS England put an extra £30 million in to the GP contract in March 2017 to cover indemnity-related inflation for GPs from 2016-17. A further sum of approximately £30 million will be made available for April 2018.

The change in the personal injury discount rate announced by the former Lord Chancellor (Elizabeth Truss) in February 2017 has significantly increased the cost of claims. The Department is working closely with GPs and Medical Defence Organisations to ensure that appropriate funding is available to meet additional costs to GPs, recognising the crucial role they play in the delivery of National Health Service care.

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