Primary care minister Stephen Kinnock has committed to a future for the GP partnership model, Pulse reports.
The minister made comments as part of Pulse’s LIVE event.
“We are absolutely committed to it,” Mr Kinnock told the audience. “Clearly, where we see partnerships that work very well, there’s a huge amount of advantage to be had around pooling resources.”
Mr Kinnock also remarked that he hoped the new 2025/26 contract agreed recently would put a stop to GP collective action.
The day before, NASGP chair Dr Richard Fieldhouse took part in a panel event debating ‘Are unemployed GPs collateral damage of the NHS big plans?’ with Dr Steve Taylor, spokesperson for the Doctors’ Association UK, Dr Aruna Garcea, chair of Chair NHS Confederation’s primary care network and Dr Samira Anane, deputy chair of the General Practitioners’ Committee at the British Medical Association. Pulse editor in chief Jaimie Kaffash chaired the panel.
Dr Fieldhouse said: “Stephen Kinnock’s commitment to the partnership model can not have come soon enough, after last week’s announcements by the government on taking a wrecking ball to NHS England and ICBs.
“General practice needs strong clinical leadership, it needs clinical leaders to take responsibility for providing joined-up services, and it needs the stability and continuity that comes from the partnership model.
“There will be fallout and disarray from the forthcoming abolition of NHSE, and from the radical reduction in size of ICBs, which no doubt will put more pressure and responsibilities on GP partners, should also give them more control.”