Access to GP surgeries is extremely important in supporting patients, but also alleviating pressures on Welsh hospitals. Yet under the Labour Government in Wales, in 2012 Wales had 473 practices, but as of December 2023, this had decreased to 374.
BMA Cymru Wales’ ‘Save our Surgeries’ campaign is calling on the Labour Government to ensure 11% of NHS Wales funding is spent on general practice and to ensure Wales trains, recruits, and retains enough GPs to move towards the OECD average number of GPs per 1000 people.
In the Senedd tomorrow (15/05/24), the Welsh Conservatives are bringing forward a Senedd motion calling on the Labour Government to adopt BMA Cymru Wales’ key campaign calls, and to ensure the full Barnet consequential arising from NHS spending by the UK Government is made available for the health service in Wales.
Commenting ahead of the debate, Welsh Conservative Shadow Health Minister, Sam Rowlands MS, said:
“GPs surgeries are vital in supporting patients and alleviating pressures on Welsh hospitals. It is deeply concerning that if urgent action isn’t taken, Wales will see its 100th GP practice closure in just over a decade.
“In the Senedd tomorrow, I look forward to bringing forward a Welsh Conservative debate calling on the Labour Government to adopt BMA Cymru Wales’ ‘Save our Surgeries’ key campaign calls, and ensure the full Barnett consequential arising from NHS spending by the UK Government is made available for the health service in Wales.”
Also commenting, Chair of BMA Cymru Wales GP Committee, Dr Gareth Oelmann, said:
“The future of general practice is at risk because of longstanding underinvestment in the service. Unless urgent action is taken to address GP workload, workforce and wellbeing, the service is at risk of collapse.
“GPs and their patients want the same thing. We want patients to be able to see their GP, quickly and easily, in a practice that is local to them, well-staffed and resourced, and safe. It is time GPs and their patients are listened to, and our concerns acted upon, before it is too late.”
The motion which will be debated tomorrow reads:
To propose that the Senedd:
1. Notes the Access to GP Practices in Wales report published by the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, which highlights the importance of GP practices in alleviating pressures on hospitals and supporting patients across Wales.
2. Regrets that in 2012 Wales had 473 GP practices, but as of December 2023, this has decreased to 374.
3. Further regrets that only 6.1 per cent of NHS Wales funding went towards general practice in the year 2020-21 and that less than 8 per cent of NHS Wales funding goes towards general practice at present, which is lower than in 2005-6.
4. Calls on the Welsh Government to:
a) take urgent action to ensure Wales doesn’t see it’s 100th GP practice closure in just over a decade;
b) adopt the BMA Cymru Wales Save Our Surgeries key campaign calls of 11 per cent of NHS Wales funding to be spent on general practice and produce a workforce strategy to ensure that Wales trains, recruits and retains enough GPs to move towards the OECD average number of GPs per 1000 people; and
c) ensure the full Barnett consequential arising from NHS spending by the UK Government is made available for the health service in Wales.
