New GP contract aims to improve patient access to appointments

A fresh contract agreed between the Department of Health (DoH) and general practitioners is set to make it "easier" for patients to secure appointments, according to the health minister. The DoH announced that an extra £40m will be provided over a two-year period to support "improvements in patient access and primary care activity".

This development follows a vote by GP partners in Northern Ireland last year to engage in collective action as they campaigned for higher levels of funding. A GP contract serves as a formal arrangement between medical practices and the department for the delivery of general health services.

The 2026/27 General Medical Services Contract has an in-year value of £17.384m, the DoH stated. This figure incorporates £13.3m of recurrent funding dedicated to core GP services. Robbie Butler expressed his support for the Northern Ireland General Practitioners Committee's (NIGPC) "commitment to rebuild a constructive working relationship with the department and to end the current collective action."