Ministers will divert billions of pounds from hospitals to GPs to “fix the front door to the NHS”, Wes Streeting has promised as he said millions of patients will be able to see the same family doctor at every appointment.
The health secretary made his first major policy announcement as he prepared to begin vital talks with junior doctors on Tuesday, aimed at finally ending the strikes that have crippled the health service since 2022.
Less than 10% of the £165bn NHS budget in England is spent on primary care, and that share has been falling, despite record high demand at GP surgeries. In a significant policy shift, Streeting on Monday said he would reverse that trend and boost the proportion of the budget for primary care so patients could access help sooner.
More than 5 million patients a month in England are waiting longer than a fortnight for a GP appointment after the previous government promised everyone would be able to get one within 14 days.
After visiting Abbey Medical Centre, a GP surgery in St John’s Wood, London, Streeting said: “Patients are finding it harder than ever to see a GP. Patients can’t get through the front door of the NHS, so they aren’t getting the timely care they need.
“That’s no surprise, when GPs and primary care have been receiving a smaller proportion of NHS resources. I’m committed to reversing that.”
Improving access to family doctors was key to easing the wider crisis across the NHS and reducing pressure on hospitals, Streeting said.
He added: “My first visit as health secretary was to a GP practice because when we said we want to shift the focus of the NHS out of hospitals and into the community, we meant it.
“I’m determined to make the NHS more of a neighbourhood health service, with more care available closer to people’s homes. Because if patients can’t get a GP appointment, then they end up in A&E, which is worse for them, and more expensive for the taxpayer.”
The Abbey Medical Centre provides patients with a personal service and emphasises continuity of care – both key pillars of the government’s mission to reform NHS primary care, Streeting said.
He added: “We are committed to bringing back the family doctor, so patients can see the same doctor each appointment, fixing the front door to the NHS.”
In 2023, almost 61m appointments took place more than two weeks after being requested, according to figures from a House of Commons library analysis of NHS data.
Amanda Pritchard, the chief executive of NHS England, who visited the GP practice with Streeting, welcomed the policy shift.
She said: “GP teams are the bedrock of the NHS but right across the country, they are under huge pressure and working incredibly hard to deliver more appointments. We know there is much more work to do to support them and to transform primary care services.”
In an email to NHS leaders on Monday, seen by the Guardian, Pritchard revealed that there were “three big strategic shifts” identified by the new government that “we are all keen to make”.
They were: moving more care out of hospital into primary care and community services; better use of technology and data; and boosting prevention by supporting people to stay well, reducing health inequalities and helping people stay in work.
However, diverting billions of pounds from hospitals will probably upset some hospital bosses who are battling to reduce the record NHS backlog.
While shifting cash to primary care might eventually ease the burden on hospitals, resolving the pay row will also be crucial to resolve the NHS crisis. Streeting will meet junior doctors face to face on Tuesday.
Health leaders have urged the government to resolve the long-running dispute as a “priority” after more than 60,000 appointments were postponed as a result of the latest strike.
Junior doctors went on strike for five full days from 27 June – their 11th walkout in 20 months.
Junior doctors in England have said their pay has been cut by more than a quarter over the last 15 years and have called for a 35% increase.
Streeting has previously said he would not meet the 35%, saying that if he gave in to the demand then “any trade union worth their salt” would come back the following year with the same request.
He has said there was “space for a discussion” on pay, as well as negotiations on how to improve working conditions for medics in training.
Strikes across the NHS since December 2022 by doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, paramedics and other staff have led to nearly 1.5m appointments, procedures and operations postponed, at an estimated cost to the NHS of more than £3bn.
A No 10 source said Keir Starmer was “looking for progress ASAP” on industrial action.
They said: “We’ve said we needed to hit the ground running and the mandate shows the scale of the appetite for change. Nobody underestimates the responsibility to deliver on it. All the cabinet know they have got really clear instructions and confidence from Keir they can go out there and get on and deliver.
“Wes’s first phone call was to the BMA to take immediate action on that and you can see it through the other cabinet ministers. They are all empowered and know they need to go out and get straight on it.”
A British Medical Association source said the union was “pleased” Streeting had already moved to “get the ball rolling” on negotiating a solution.
However, the source also said “only a credible offer” that was acceptable to its members would end the dispute.
