New stakeholder GP contract consultation model could be made permanent

Exclusive The new model for determining the terms of the GP contract, which will see a group of stakeholders consulted, could become permanent, the Government has told Pulse.

Earlier this week, NHS England’s primary care director Dr Amanda Doyle revealed in an exclusive op-ed for Pulse that there would be no negotiation with the BMA’s GP Committee for the 2026/27 GP contract.

Instead, GPC England will be consulted alongside the RCGP, NAPC, Healthwatch England, National Voices and the NHS Confederation.

In a video message to the profession yesterday, GPCE chair Dr Katie Bramall stated that this has ‘happened before’, indicating that the dilution of the BMA’s role was a temporary situation. However, asked directly whether this was only a one-year change, the Government told Pulse that it has never said that was the case, and that if it works well it could become permanent.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson further said: ‘We will learn from this year’s consultation on the 2026/27 contract, with the aim of engaging widely going forwards.

‘Engaging with and listening to input from a wider range of stakeholders, as we do when developing policy for other parts of the NHS, will only help to strengthen policy making to deliver a good deal for GPs and their patients.’

Yesterday, the BMA’s council chair Dr Tom Dolphin waded into the GP contract row, arguing that the Government does not get to choose its negotiation partners.

This followed a letter from Wes Streeting to all GPs to explain his side of the breakdown of the relationship with the BMA’s GP Committee, where he said his attempts at a ‘constructive relationship’ failed due to a lack of ‘mutual respect and professionalism’.

Dr Bramall meanwhile urged the Government to come back to talks.

The invited other stakeholders have largely welcomed the development, although the RCGP said negotiating contractual terms was not its role.