Northern Ireland General Practice investment reaches £412m in 2024-25 amid rising pressures

The Department of Health (DoH) has released the latest figures on investment in general practice in Northern Ireland, covering 2020-21 to 2024-25.

Total funding, including reimbursement for drugs dispensed in GP practices, reached £412.168 million in 2024-25—a 6.16% increase from the previous year.

Adjusted for inflation, this represents a 2.01% rise in real terms, continuing a trend of increased spending that was particularly high during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 fiscal years due to the pivotal role of general practice in the COVID-19 pandemic response.

Key drivers of the funding increase

Several factors have contributed to the recent surge in funding:

• Pay Uplifts: £14.295 million has been allocated for a 6% pay increase for GPs and practice staff, alongside a 2.5% uplift for other expenses.

• Contractual Changes: The 2024-25 General Medical Services (GMS) contract incorporated the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) and specified Enhanced Services into the core contract. This freed up £38.9 million, of which £33.9 million was re-purposed into the Global Sum. Applying the pay uplift to this re-purposed funding generated an additional £2.313 million.

• Overall Financial Impact: Combined, these measures resulted in a total additional investment of £16.608 million in general practice for 2024-25.

Persistent pressures on Northern Ireland GPs

Despite this increased funding, general practice continues to face significant challenges:

• Growing Demand: An aging population and lengthy waiting lists for secondary care have intensified demand for GP services.

• Workforce Strain: The number of GPs increased modestly by approximately 9% between March 2018 and March 2023, but this has not kept pace with rising demand. Attracting new GPs remains challenging, with over 5% of practices returning their contracts since April 2023.

• High Activity Levels: In 2022-23, general practices conducted around 200,000 consultations each week, highlighting the substantial workload borne by primary care providers.

Looking ahead: modernisation and strategic initiatives

The future sustainability of general practice in Northern Ireland depends on strategic initiatives to modernise and streamline primary care. Central to this is the introduction of multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs), intended to distribute workloads and provide more comprehensive care.

However, progress in implementing MDTs has been slower than initially planned.

A forthcoming primary care strategy from the Department of Health is expected to outline a roadmap for addressing workforce planning, modernising facilities, and improving digital access for patients.

These initiatives will be critical to ensuring long-term sustainability and meeting the growing needs of Northern Ireland’s population.

Accessing the full report

The Department of Health has published the full report online via its Statistics Section, accessible at Department of Health NI – Investment in General Practice.

The data is sourced from the Financial Information Monitoring System (FIMS), maintained by the Strategic Planning & Performance Group (SPPG), and the Pharmacy Payments System, maintained by the Business Services Organisation (BSO).