Save Our Surgeries

Western Vale Family Practice are deeply concerned that the GP contract funding negotiations between Welsh Government, NHS Wales and GP representatives, ended in 2023-24 without successful resolution.

We are now in a new contract year from 1 April 2024 with no conifrmation from Welsh Government regarding our funding.

General Practice in Wales is under significant and growing strain. GP numbers are declining, demand is rising, and practices are struggling to recruit and retain staff.

General practice is being forced to try and cope with inadequate resources, an unsustainable workload, and a workforce under pressure across the whole of Wales, with some areas in crisis.

Current inadequate capacity is a product of longstanding workload, workforce, and well-being issues, which correlate to the chronic underfunding of general medical services.BMA Cymru Wales's Save Our Surgeries campaign asks Welsh Government to commit to a rescue package for General Practice, to provide GPs and their patients with the support they need.

 

 

 

BMA SOS

Did you Know?

GP Practices are independent small business, contracted to the NHS. Our main funding comes from each patient registered with the Practice. We are currently funded an average of £117 per patient, per annum for unlimited access and provision of a range of core services, including, but not limited to, urgent/chronic/terminal care, health promotion, referral to specialist services, screening and immunisations.

As a Practice, we have seen our patient population grow by 10% in the last two years and our expenses increase 20% in the last financial year. 

What does this mean for patients?

We are a friendly, caring, forward thinking and large training Practice (GPs, Pharmacists, Nurses, Medical Students), who have invested in building a strong multi-disciplinary team to care for our patients. We are very proud to have recently won South Wales GP Practice of the Year. However, the impact of Welsh Government not sufficiently increasing funding for General Practices will be:

  • Difficulty retaining valuable practice team members and future recruitment (clinical and non clinical) as we cannot offer terms and conditions which mirror the NHS
  • Reduction in services provided to manage costs
  • Longer waits for patients to access routine (non urgent care)
  • Increased patient concern and frustration
  • Impact on morale amongst the practice team (including trainees) and subsequent impact on wellbeing, as we want to provide patients with safe and timely care.
  • 91 GP Practices (20%) in Wales have permanently closed in the last 10 years. 

What can you do to save you surgery?

Please:

Constituencies: Vale of Glamorgan - Jane Hutt (Labour) email: jane.hutt@senedd.wales

Regional - South Wales Central:

Members of Parliament: Vale of Glamorgan Constituency - Alun Cairns MP (Conservative) (email: alun.cairns.mp@parliament.uk)

If you are a Western Vale community group and you would like us to come talk to you and your members about this, please e-mail rhian.floyd2@wales.nhs.uk