‘Thousands more GPs’ to be trained with spending review NHS funding boost

The chancellor has specified GP training as a priority investment area while announcing a £29bn funding boost for the NHS in today’s long-term spending review.

According to the Treasury announcement, ‘thousands more GPs’ will be ‘trained’ with the money which will see real terms day-to-day spending on NHS services increase by 3% on average.

Reporting the outcome of the 2025 Spending Review today, chancellor Rachel Reeves said that the new investment includes ‘up to £10bn’ allocated to technology and digital transformation, ‘GP training to deliver millions more appointments’ and rolling out mental health support to all schools.

Speaking in the House of Commons, she said: ‘We are shifting care back to the community, providing more funding to support the training of thousands more GPs to deliver millions more appointments.

‘I am proud to announce today that this Labour Government is making a record cash investment in our national health service, increasing real terms day to day spending by 3% per year for every single year of this Spending Review, an extra £29bn per year for the day-to-day running of our health service.’

The Spending Review sets out planned day-to-day spending totals for all government departments for the years from 2026/27 to 2028/29, and investment spending plans for a further year (from 2026/27 to 2029/30).

The review’s document published today said that the Government will ‘move money and care closer to where people live’, and that this ‘includes additional funding by 2028-29’ to support ‘the training of thousands more GPs’. However, it lacked specific details.

It said: ‘Additional funding will be provided to help bring back the family doctor through supporting the training of thousands more GPs, delivering millions more appointments a year.’

BMA representative body chair Dr Latifa Patel said GP representatives will now be looking ‘carefully’ at whether the funding will allow the Government to deliver the new GP contract it has committed to, and ‘crucially’ if it will address the ‘absurd situation’ where more GPs are needed, but GPs are struggling to find work.

She said: ‘The Government is keen to highlight how much money is going into health and the NHS, but we need to be realistic about how far it will go for patients and for staff.

‘It still falls short of average increases we’ve seen in health spending historically, and of the investment needed to fulfil the NHS workforce plan.

‘The Government’s own modelling reportedly concludes that today’s funding will still not be enough to meet its waiting list pledges within this Parliament.’

RCGP chair Professor Kamila Hawthorne said that the announcement of funding for ‘thousands’ more GPs by 2028/29 will be ‘good news for patients’ across the county, setting a path for improving access to general practice. 

However, she said that more detail is needed both in terms of funding and workforce numbers, and that if training places do increase, there needs to be ‘jobs available at the end’.

She said: ‘While we would argue that the family doctor has not gone anywhere, with our members harder than ever to provide care at the heart of communities, there is no denying that general practice is in crisis – we are overstretched, underfunded and understaffed.

‘This commitment to more GPs could help deliver the Government’s commitment to move care out of hospitals and into the community, bolstering GP services to deliver care close to home where it’s most cost effective and best for patients. But, of course, we now need to see more detail – both in terms of funding and workforce numbers. 

‘We also need to ensure that, if training places do increase, that there are the jobs available at the end. At the moment, we are facing a nonsensical situation where GPs are leaving training and struggling to find an appropriate role in the NHS.’

She added that the Government needs to consider GP infrastructure, as 84% of general practice staff said that a lack of physical space limits their practice’s ability to take on additional GP trainees.

‘So, whilst it was encouraging to see the Government recognise the need to invest in the primary care estate, we need to be realistic about how far the money set aside for capital spending will stretch,’ Professor Hawthorne said.

The review also said that the announcement is ‘building on the 1,700 additional GPs’ that have already been recruited, referring to GPs hired under the the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS).

The Doctors’ Association GP spokesperson Dr Steve Taylor pointed out that these are ‘not full-time equivalent numbers’.

He said: ‘While it’s good to see funding allocated to the health of the nation, this is our money being allocated for our care. If that funding is inadequate then it should not be celebrated.

‘For example, the 1,700 new GPs the chancellor mentioned are not full-time equivalent numbers. It’s fewer than 1,000 FTE – and most of these are in non-substantive roles across a number of practices.

‘There are still thousands of GPs unable to find work. This will only increase in August with a new cohort. Context is key. The 3.5 million extra appointments is less than three days’ work for GP practices.’

Londonwide LMCs CEO Dr Lisa Harrod-Rothwell said: ‘Prioritising health is the right decision, but this money needs to be used wisely.

‘Meeting patient demand will still be a major challenge within the Government’s announced planned spending.

‘I urge ministers to listen to Lord Darzi regarding the strong financial management and associated cost-effectiveness offered by general practice, and what is needed to realise improvements in access, care, and innovation, and relieve pressures on acute hospitals.

‘If GPs are allowed the time and capacity to improve continuity of care, build relationships with local communities and offer longer appointments to patients with complex needs, general practice can help create communities of healthier patients, demanding less of hospitals and actively supporting economic growth as more people are well enough to work.’

The King’s Fund chief executive Sarah Woolnough warned that ‘large parts’ of this additional funding will be absorbed by existing rising costs, as well as covering staff pay rises.

She said: ‘The chancellor said she wants the public to have “an NHS there when they need it”. It is hard to see how all the things she mentions – faster ambulance times, more GP appointments and adequate mental health services and more – can be met on this settlement alone.

‘Particularly when large parts of this additional funding will be absorbed by existing rising costs, such as the higher cost of medicines, which are currently being negotiated, and covering staff pay deals.

‘But there is a huge opportunity offered by the Government’s upcoming 10 year plan for health, so we will wait to see how this money will be translated into better, more efficient services.’