Labour’s nationwide insurance coverage raid might ‘value 2 million GP appointments’ | Politics | News | EUROtoday

More than two million GP appointments could possibly be in danger as a consequence of Labour’s nationwide insurance coverage raid, in line with new evaluation.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves used her Budget to hike the speed of nationwide insurance coverage for employers from 13.8% to fifteen%.

She additionally lowered the wage threshold at which employers begin paying the tax from £9,100 to £5,000.

Analysis by the Liberal Democrats discovered that the elevated value for GP surgical procedures is the equal to offering 2.24 million appointments a yr.

The occasion’s well being and social care spokesperson Helen Morgan mentioned: “Clobbering GP practices with higher taxes makes no sense at a time when many people are already struggling to get an appointment.

“Surgeries are already struggling and these increased costs will leave GPs with no choice but to cut services and staff numbers. Ultimately it is patients around the country who will pay the price.

“The Chancellor needs to urgently rethink these proposals and exempt GPs from this misguided tax hike.”

The Institute of General Practice Management has estimated that the rise in employers’ national insurance will mean the average GP surgery’s tax bill will go up by around £20,000 a year.

This could cost £125.5 million a year for all 6,275 GP practices in England.

It is the equivalent of 2.24 million GP appointments at £56 per appointment, according to the analysis.

The main tax rise in Ms Reeves’ fiscal statement last month was a change to employers’ national insurance contributions which is expected to raise more than £25billion for the Treasury.

But there have been concerns about the impact of the measure on GP surgeries.

The Royal College of GPs (RCGP) earlier this month contacted Health Secretary Wes Streeting seeking “urgent assurances” that practices would be exempted.

A government spokesperson said: “We have taken tough decisions to fix the foundations so a £22 billion boost for the NHS and social care could be announced at the Budget.

“The employer national insurance rise doesn’t kick in until April, and we will set out further details on allocation of funding for next year in due course.

“We will also hire an extra 1,000 GPs into the NHS by the end of this year, having already announced a contract uplift for GPs and practice staff, and we will ensure practices have the resources they need to offer patients the highest quality care.”