Welsh NHS Confederation welcomes GMS contract agreement
Responding to the news of the successful conclusion of tripartite GMS contract negotiations for 2025-26 (and elements of 2026-27), director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, Darren Hughes, said:
“NHS leaders welcome this agreement as a positive example of social partnership in action.
“We also welcome the commitment to accelerating digital transformation for patients through the NHS Wales App and the measures agreed in the contract to enable enhanced population health management, such as diabetes management.
“GPs and their multidisciplinary teams remain the ‘front door to the NHS’ and sufficient investment in general practice and wider primary and community care is vital to shifting more care closer to home, improving access and outcomes for patients – as is the aim of the community-by-design programme.
“Evidence shows investing in primary and community care reduces demand on hospitals and emergency care and delivers returns of £14 for every £1 invested. To enable this shift ‘upstream’ from hospital-centred care to integrated services in the community, we must develop care pathways and joint performance measures that address the full needs of individuals.”
- *In our survey of almost 100 NHS leaders in Wales, 74% supported a shift in resources from acute services into primary care and community-based services, mental health and social care.
- In the year 2023-24:
· Over 29 million calls were received by GP practices
· Over 18 million GP appointments took place
· Over 11 million of these were face-to-face appointments
· Over 200,000 home visits were undertaken
· Over 78 million prescription items were dispensed
· Over 14,000 medication reviews took place.
Data source: Primary Care Information Portal (DHCW)
