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Plans would end the 8am doctor’s appointment scramble
07/01/2025
The issue is often raised on the doorstep
Plans to bring back the family doctor and end the 8am scramble for appointments have been welcomed by Banbury’s MP. Sean Woodcock says the difficulty people have in making a GP appointment is often raised with him on the doorstep.
Under government proposals – outlined last week – patients would experience greater continuity of care, including those with complex needs, long-term conditions, or the elderly.
The ideas form part of a proposed new GP contract for 2025/26, which is now out for consultation with the British Medical Association’s General Practice Committee.
The plan includes an extra £889m on top of the existing budget for general practice and a reduction in the number of performance targets GPs must meet.
Mr Woodcock said: “When I knock on doors in Banbury, Chipping Norton or Charlbury and the villages I hear time and time again the difficulty that residents have in making a GP appointment and how important the front door to our NHS is to them and their families.
“I promised residents in Banbury that we would help bring back the family doctor and I’m delighted to see proposals that would deliver on that promise.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting added: “General practice is buckling under the burden of bureaucracy, with GPs filling out forms instead of treating patients. It is clear the system is broken, which is why we are slashing red tape, binning outdated performance targets, and instead freeing doctors up to do their jobs.
“We promised to bring back the family doctor, but we want to be judged by results – not promises. That’s why we will incentivise GPs to ensure more and more patients see the same doctor at each appointment.”
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam