A TOTAL of 1,503 extra GPs have been recruited across England since 1 October as part of the government’s Plan for Change, new figures show.
The recruitment is aimed at increasing general practice capacity, reducing waiting lists, and improving access to appointments. It follows changes to the GP contract for 2025–26 and additional government funding.
The government removed regulations that had previously limited the ability of practices to hire newly qualified GPs.
According to officials, more than 1,000 new GPs had been at risk of unemployment due to these restrictions. At the same time, the number of fully qualified GPs had fallen by 1,399 over the past decade.
The government invested £82 million to help primary care networks recruit GPs, with continued funding announced in the latest Budget. This includes £889 million in additional funding for general practice for 2025–26.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Rebuilding our broken NHS starts with fixing the front door.
We inherited a ludicrous situation where patients couldn't get a GP appointment, while GPs couldn't get a job. By cutting red tape and investing more in our NHS, we have put an extra 1,503 GPs into general practice to deliver more appointments.”
He added: “The extra investment and reforms we have made will allow patients to book appointments more easily, to help bring back the family doctor and end the 8am scramble.”
Dr Amanda Doyle, National Director for Primary Care and Community Services, said: “I would like to thank the general practice teams that have employed significantly more than the 1,000 extra GPs promised to provide care for patients.”
She said GP teams are currently delivering 29 million appointments per month, a fifth more than before the pandemic.
The government says it has delivered more than two million extra appointments since July, seven months ahead of target, and reduced the NHS waiting list by 193,000.
New rules coming into effect in October require GP surgeries to offer online appointment requests during working hours and increase the option for patients to book with their regular doctor.
