General practice cuts have led to a £400 million funding “black hole” according to the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP).
The RCGP pointed out that cuts to general practice over the past year almost add up to the government’s recent cash injection in A&E.
The figures show that the amount spent on general practice per person has dropped by 7% between 2010 and 2013, due to funding cuts and population growth.
The college has warned that the effects of decreasing funding will have a “disastrous effect” on patient care.
RCGP chair Dr Clare Gerada said: “General practice is the most cost-effective and efficient arm of the health service – GPs keep the rest of the NHS stable and secure. Once general practice starts to crumble, the entire NHS will follow with disastrous consequences for our patients.
“In August this year, the government announced an additional £500 million over the next two years for A&E departments. What we need is our fair share of funding – at least 10% of the entire NHS budget and at least 10,000 more GPs – so that GPs can provide more services for patients in their communities.”
