Patients are at risk of losing their family doctor as funding reforms cause GP surgeries to tip into the red.
The reforms, which were introduced in April, have changed the way in which money is allocated amongst GP practices.
NHS England has said that 98% of GP practices will lose substantial sums of money, while 1,700 will face cuts.
These plans have been in the pipeline for the past decade, as ministers deemed the previous system to be complex and unfair, with some surgeries receiving more than others.
Since coming into force, over 100 GP surgeries have contacted the Royal College of GPs, saying the reforms have left them short of cash and unable to pay their bills.
If forced to close, around 700,000 patients would be left without a family doctor. This would have a notable knock-on effect as patients would need to register with new surgeries, making waiting times for appointments even longer.
There has been a call for more money, but MPs are likely to resist, arguing that the total funding for GPs has not been cut.
Nigel Mathers, honorary secretary of the Royal College of GPs, commented on the “severe under-investment in GP services”. He said:
“General practice is on the verge of a catastrophic meltdown, with nearly 100 GP practices across the country facing closure within months. If the practices concerned do close, 700,000 patients are at risk of being left without a family doctor.
“The severe under-investment in GP services means that many practices have been relying on minimum practice income guarantee funding just to keep going.
“Rather than robbing Peter to pay Paul, the government should be ensuring that general practice gets the investment it needs to provide safe patient care across the whole country.”
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