GP Recruitment Boost Delivers Millions More NHS Appointments

More than 2,000 extra GPs have been recruited across England as part of the government’s ongoing NHS “Plan for Change,” driving a record increase in GP appointments and improving access to primary care.

Key Developments

• Over 2,000 new GPs have joined practices nationwide since October 2024, surpassing the initial government target of 1,000 additional GPs this year.
• The recruitment initiative forms part of broader NHS reforms, aimed at rebuilding primary care by shifting healthcare services from hospitals to local communities and bringing back the “family doctor” model.
• This boost is already delivering results: in May 2025, an extra 12,000 GP appointments were available every working day compared to May 2024. The new recruits are expected to provide over 4 million extra appointments annually.
• Improvements in patient experience are being reported. Recent Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show the percentage of patients struggling to contact their GP has dropped from 18.7% to 10.6%. At the same time, 96.3% of patients were able to successfully contact their practice, and the proportion reporting poor experiences fell from 15% to 10.9%.
• The government has invested over £82 million to support GP recruitment, and more than 1,000 surgeries will receive £102 million to expand capacity, delivering an estimated 8.3 million more appointments each year.

Reform Plans for the Future

• The additional GPs will form part of multidisciplinary neighbourhood health teams, providing community-based, preventative, and everyday care closer to people’s homes.
• The new GPs were hired through measures such as cutting hiring red tape and launching the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS).
• The government’s 10-Year Health Plan pledges to train thousands more GPs and build local health teams under one roof to continue improving access and convenience.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting commented:

“We said we’d deliver 1,000 more GPs this year – and we’ve busted that target, bringing 2,000 more GPs on board. With proper investment and reform we are turning the tide on our NHS, and patients are beginning to feel the benefit.”

For the official announcement and more details, visit the original release here.