70,700 South East London GP Appointments At Risk due to Tax Hike

Analysis by the Liberal Democrats has revealed that the rise in employers’ national insurance announced at the Budget could put over 70,714 GP appointments in South East London at risk due to increased costs to practices. 

Southwark Lib Dems have been warning about the tax hike since it was announced, calling it a “tax on jobs”, and now warn of the impact on health services. 

Ministers have so far refused to back down, but will be facing pressure with Lib Dem MPs in Parliament preparing amendments to upcoming legislation on the Budget which would exempt GPs from the National Insurance rise. 

The Liberal Democrats are also been calling for the exemption to apply to NHS dentists, carers, pharmacies, hospices, and other forms of primary care. 

The Institute of General Practice Management has estimated that the rise will mean the average GP surgery’s tax bill will go up by around £20,000 a year. This could end up costing the 198 GP surgeries in South East London almost £4 million. 

This is the equivalent cost of providing 70,714 GP appointments, at an average of £56 per appointment. 

Cllr Bentley is calling for the Government to scrap the tax on GP surgeries.

Commenting, Cllr Rachel Bentley said:  

“GPs are set to be hammered by higher taxes at a time when people are already struggling to get an appointment and access the care they need. 

“Hiking taxes on GP surgeries is a false economy, and there needs to be some careful, rational thinking about the impact fewer appointments will have. To fix our NHS, we need to fix our primary care system – that’s GP practices, carers, dentists, and more. Failure to do this will only increase pressures on the NHS and as a result, increase costs, which the taxpayer has to pick up down the line.

“The Chancellor must urgently rethink these proposals and exempt GPs from this misguided tax hike. We cannot rescue local health services whilst burdening them with even more costs.”