Written question WQ93983
- Asked by
- Andrew RT DaviesConservative
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 3 days
Question
What measures will the Welsh Government put in place to tackle the issue of surgeries that have too few GPs for the number of patients registered there?
Answer
Answered by Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
I greatly value the work of GPs across Wales.
GP surgeries are independently contracted and are responsible for ensuring their staffing levels are appropriate to meet the needs of their patient populations.
The Welsh Government has provided support to practices via the Additional Capacity Fund, which made available £4m of funding from 2022, recurrent for three years.
We have introduced a range of new services, including the Common Ailments scheme in pharmacies and NHS Wales 111, to direct people to right care in the right place. The Unified Contract, introduced in October 2023 also aims to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy in general practice, freeing up more GP time for direct patient care.