This is according to an announcement from the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting. 

The move forward was credited to government action to remove red tape currently preventing surgeries from hiring doctors.

Currently, under a scheme known as the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS), primary care networks (PCNs) can claim reimbursement for the salaries (and some on costs) of 17 new roles within the multidisciplinary team – meaning more specialists are available to treat patients.

They are selected to meet the needs of the local population but are currently prevented from using this to recruit additional GPs, the announcement said. The changes announced today means that newly qualified GPs could be quickly recruited into the NHS through this scheme in 2024-25.

It’s thought hundreds of newly qualified GPs could be without a job this summer in England. “But thanks to this intervention, they will be able to be hired by the end of the year,” the announcement said.

The British Medical Association, Royal College of General Practitioners and many other groups petitioned for the intervention, receiving over 11,000 signatures.

It comes as the government accepts recommendations of the Pay Review Bodies in full, increasing GPs’ pay by 6%.

Health and social care secretary Wes Streeting said: “This is a first step, as we begin the long-term work of shifting the focus of healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to fix the front door to the NHS.
“I want to work with GPs to rebuild our NHS, so it is there for all of us when we need it.”

Dr Amanda Doyle, national director for Primary Care and Community Services, said: “Adding general practitioners to the scheme is something that the profession has been calling for in recent months to make it easier for practices to hire more staff – so I welcome this measure, which is an important first step to increasing GP employment in the long-term.

“We will continue to work with GPs, the BMA and the government to avert any potential action but in the meantime the NHS has a duty to plan for any possible disruption to ensure services continue to be provided for patients – so the public should continue to come forward for care in the normal way if collective action does go ahead.”

The department announcement said: “This is an emergency measure for 2024-25 to ensure patients are able to access GPs and GPs are able to find roles, while the government works with the profession to identify longer-term solutions to GP unemployment and general practice sustainability as part of the next fiscal event.

“The government will ensure the NHS has the funding it needs to deliver this, paid for by £82m from the existing department budget.”

In expanding general practice capacity, the ARRS improves access for patients, supports the delivery of new services and widens the range of offers available in primary care, the announcement said.

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