GP services in England get multibillion cash injection in landmark deal

General practice services in England are to receive a multibillion pound cash injection as part of a radical plan to redress years of underinvestment in primary care.

In a move hailed by GP leaders as “a turning point” for the profession, NHS England will invest extra money in general practice each year, rising to an extra £2.4bn (€3bn; $3.5bn) by 2020-21. The extra funding means that investment in primary care will rise from £9.6bn in 2016-17 to over £12bn by 2021, representing a 14% increase in real terms.

The funding includes a £500m national “turnaround” package to help struggling practices ease workload pressures, develop their workforce, and redesign care.

NHS England said the overall proportion of NHS investment going into general practice would exceed 10% by 2020-21 and would rise further with new additional investment from local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs).

The plans were unveiled on 21 April by NHS England’s chief executive, Simon Stevens, in the General Practice Forward View, a new blueprint …