.png)
GP Contract 2025/26: A Strategic Overview for Primary Care Leaders
Updated: 16 hours ago
At THC Primary Care, we provide resources for primary care network leaders. This blog summarises the changes to the GP contract in 2025/26,which was released on 28 February 2025.
Let's jump in!
Understanding the GP Contract
The GP contract is the formal agreement between general practitioners (GPs) and NHS England that outlines how primary care services are delivered, funded, and regulated across England. It serves as the foundation for how GP practices operate within the NHS system.
Core Elements of the GP Contract
The GP contract consists of several key components:
General Medical Services (GMS): The main contract held by most GP practices, which outlines essential services all practices must provide.
Primary Medical Services (PMS): A locally agreed alternative to the GMS contract with more flexibility.
Directed Enhanced Services (DES): Additional services practices can opt to provide.
Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF): A voluntary incentive scheme that rewards practices for meeting specific quality standards.
Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS): Funding to support employment of additional healthcare professionals within primary care networks.
The GP Contract 2025/26 | What is changing?
Investment increase: £889m additional funding across core practice contract and Network Contract DES.
Funding growth: 7.2% cash growth (4.8% real growth) - the largest increase in over a decade.
ARRS enhancement: More flexibility with a combined funding pot for patient-facing staff, including GPs and practice nurses.
QOF streamlining: 32 indicators permanently retired, with the focus shifted to cardiovascular disease prevention.
Digital accessibility: From October 2025, online consultation tools must remain open during core hours (8am-6.30pm).
New enhanced service: £80m for advice and guidance to support shifting care from hospitals to the community.
NHSE reports that the £889 million increase in funding is the largest in over a decade, demonstrating a commitment to strengthening primary care as part of the government's mission to shift care from hospitals into community settings.
Here are some of the contract's financial highlights at a glance.
These changes aim to benefit various stakeholders across the healthcare system.
For GPs and practice staff: Reduced QOF administrative burden; increased funding for childhood vaccinations.
For community pharmacists: Improved interoperability with ability to send consultation summaries to GP practices.
For secondary care: New enhanced service supports shifting appropriate care to community settings.
The wider NHS: Supports better integration between primary and secondary care.
What about the patients?
These changes are also to enable:
Improved access to GP services through digital channels.
A new patient charter published on practice websites, showing what patients can expect.
Reduced bureaucracy potentially allowing more clinical time for patient care.
Focus on preventing heart disease and stroke aiming to reduce premature mortality.
Enhanced information sharing between NHS services for better coordination of care.
What about the Primary Care Network Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme?
Practices and primary care network colleagues will have been looking for modifications to the ARRS scheme, and hopefully, they will be pleased to see that this allows funding to be used for GPs and practice nurses with no restrictions on staff numbers or types, giving practices and PCNs greater flexibility to address their specific workforce needs.
What happens next?
Contract implementation begins immediately.
New specifications and guidance are to be published in the coming weeks.
NHS England webinar on March 3rd to share additional information.
Practices to prepare for digital requirements by October 2025.
Vaccination schedule changes are to be implemented from July 2025 to January 2026.
More THC Primary Care Summaries
Join the Members Club Today
Join us to discuss all this and more.............
The third annual PCN Plus LIVE conference will be held on Wednesday, 23 April 2025, at the Crowne Plaza in Nottingham.
About Us
THC Primary Care is an award-winning healthcare consultancy specialising in Primary Care Network Management and the creator of the Business of Healthcare Podcast. With over 20 years in the industry, we've supported more than 200 PCNs through interim management, training, and consultancy.
Our expertise spans project management and business development across both private and public sectors. Our work has been published in the London Journal of Primary Care, and we've authored over 250 blogs sharing insights about primary care networks.
.png)
