GP contractor income has dropped by a fifth in a year, BMA finds

GP contractor income in England has dropped by a fifth in the past year, according to initial findings from a BMA survey of practices.

A social media post from England GP Committee chair Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer said ‘preliminary results’ from the practice finance survey showed it ‘dropped by an average of over 20% over one year’.

In December, the BMA asked practice managers in England to share information around practices’ accounts for 2021/22 and 2022/23, as well as expenditure data for October 2022 and October 2023 and information on how many staff the practice employs.

Dr Bramall-Stainer said the survey also showed the ‘travesty’ of the ‘overwhelming numbers of practices who can’t afford locums’ or to ‘invest in expanding GP numbers’, pointing to ‘thousands of GPs in under-employment right now’.

‘There’ll be more, much more in the coming weeks. GPs, I suggest you join the BMA very soon,’ she added.

Dr Bramall-Stainer’s post on X was commenting on Pulse’s story from yesterday about a practice making GPs redundant in favour of ARRS staff.

The aim of the finance survey was ‘to increase the evidence base’ for the GPC negotiating team to secure potential global sum gains in ongoing 2024/25 contract discussions.

The GPC had said it was a ‘vital opportunity to demonstrate the increasing impact of inflation and rising costs on English GP practices over the last couple of years’.

Pulse revealed exclusively last month that the GPC is also working on being allowed to submit evidence to DDRB, against the BMA’s policy of disengagement.

The GPC is determined that it must take the opportunity to submit evidence on how that contract deal has ‘not kept pace’ with the economy since then and the current struggles in general practice.

Dr Bramall-Stainer previously told Pulse that it is ‘vital’ that following the end of the 2019-24 multi-year contract deal, GMS contractors in England can revert to submitting evidence to the DDRB process.

And she said the finance survey would ‘complement’ this process with ‘quantifiable evidence’.

The GPC is currently in negotiations with the Government and NHS England over next year’s GP contract.

The current five-year GP contract will come to an end in March, and the GPC is currently surveying grassroots GPs on their wishes for the future contract.

As part of that survey, GPs are being asked for their views on whether continuity of care should be included in the GP contract and on the future of PCNs.