Butler: New GP contract will deliver better access for patients in Northern Ireland

A newly agreed contract with GPs, bolstered by an additional investment of £40m over two years, will ultimately make it easier for patients to get appointments, Health Minister Robbie Butler has said.

Welcoming the successful conclusion of contract negotiations between the Department and the NI General Practitioners Committee's (NIGPC), the Minister praised the GP representatives for their constructive engagement throughout the process.

The total in-year value for the 2026/27 General Medical Services Contract agreed with NIGPC is worth a further £17.384million, including £13.3 million of recurrent funding into core GP services.  The Department has also committed to make an additional £40m available - £20m a year for two years which will cover agreed measurable improvements in patient access and primary care activity. 

Robbie Butler said:

The new contract and additional investment of £20m in each of the next two years is a clear signal of my commitment to General Practice and to improving access for patients. 

Difficulties getting an appointment with their GP is one of the issues people raise with me the most, which is why during negotiations I have been very clear that the financial package must deliver more appointments and services for people who need them. 

I am therefore pleased the NIGPC has committed to making it easier for patients to access General Practice, and to take part in the Neighbourhood Model of Health and Wellbeing. This is great news because the neighbourhood model brings services together, strengthens care in the community and designs the system around the people who use it.

I also welcome NIGPC's commitment to rebuild a constructive working relationship with the Department and to end the current collective action.

My officials will work with NIGPC on how best to use the extra funding to sustain General Practice, including its role in the Neighbourhood Health Model.

Notes to editors:

1. Central to the 2026/27 General Medical Services (GMS) Contract is recurrent investment of £13.3 million into core GMS funding to address issues within the current funding formula and share money more fairly between practices. 
2. Other elements of the 2026/27 Contract include improvements to locum reimbursement arrangements and revised childhood vaccination arrangements to provide additional incentives for practices to help improve vaccination uptake.
3. The Department's commitment to making available an additional £20m in each of the next two years will enable increased capacity in General Practice to improve patient access and support wider reform as part of a neighbourhood health service.
4. Improving access and supporting the wider reform that will support more services in the community, with a focus on preventative care, are fundamental to improving patients' experience of General Practice. 
5. The 2026/27 Contract is the first year of a three-year programme, with an emphasis on stabilisation for 2026/27, shifting towards transformation in the following two years, with the aim of developing a reformed GMS contract that will support General Practice into the future.
6. This investment in the GMS Contract should also be seen in the wider context of the Department's investment in primary care services. This includes £61m Transformation Fund investment in the Primary Care MDT Programme over a 5-year period.