This site is intended for health professionals only


GPs write to Jeremy Hunt to complain about £12.5m funding cut

GPs in in East London have written to the health secretary and NHS England chief complaining that their CCG has seen funding cut substantially.

The GPs from Tower Hamlets said populatoin in the area has risen 12.23% in the last four years but the funding allocation to NHS Tower Hamlets CCG has only increased by 8.13%.

The letter, which was organised by Tower Hamlets LMC chair Dr Jackie Applebee, said this had resulted in a £12.5m funding cut compared to five years ago.

The letter, which was signed by 62 GPs said: ‘Increases in population are not reflected in the allocation for two years meaning that we are looking after far more people than we are paid for.’

Article continues below this sponsored advert
Advertisement

The GPs added that they were ‘not asking simply for the formula to be redesigned to reflect deprivation and population mobility, though we do think that these factors are not weighted heavily enough’, adding: ‘We do not wish to rob Peter to pay Paul.’

The letter said: ‘The Government can afford to adequately fund our NHS and should do so. Patients should be able to trust that health workers are making decisions based on clinical need not on financial pressures.

‘Our publicly funded, publicly provided NHS, free at the point of delivery, is the envy of the world and was the number one issue in the last general election.’