GP practices in wealthiest areas of Wales receive more funding than deprived areas

A new study has found that current funding levels for GP and primary care services are unfair – with practices based in some of the poorest areas of Wales with the highest patient demand receiving less money than those in the most affluent areas.

In the first study of its kind, published in BJGP Open, Cardiff University researchers have found that for every 10% increase in patients at a GP practice from the most deprived areas in Wales, they are receiving 1% less in funding due to current funding policies.

Analysis

Working with primary care researchers in NHS Wales, Public Health Wales and Northern Ireland, the team analysed funding data for general practices in Wales between 2014 and 2022. They explored the fairness of distribution using the percentage of practice patients living in the 20% most deprived small areas in Wales.

The team found that although practice funding rose for all practices in this 8-year period, GP practices in Wales’ most deprived areas received significantly less funding per patient than the most affluent areas.

Dr Jonny Currie, a practicing GP in Wales and Honorary Clinical Lecturer based at the Cardiff University’s Division of Population Medicine led the study.

He said: “As the first point of contact with health services for the majority of people, primary care – our GP practises – are a key setting for improving local population health. This underinvestment in areas of the most need is likely to be contributing to existing health inequalities and needs further analysis and action.

“As a GP practising in the ‘deep end’ of greater and more challenging need, discovering practices in areas such as ours are structurally under-funded comes as a shock. We hope this research encourages our professional body and colleagues in Welsh Government to find ways of reversing this inequity urgently, before further potential harm is caused”.

“Mismatch”

Professor Lewis, Honorary Professor at Swansea Medical School and former National Clinical Director for Value-Based and Prudent Healthcare in NHS Wales, who co-authored the study added: “This research shows a mismatch between funding to GP practices in Wales in more deprived areas, and previous research which has shown high unmet health needs.

“Targeted investment in areas such as these could improve patient outcomes, tackle health inequalities, support wider NHS waiting list pressures and strengthen the economy, making funding reform a win-win for patients, the NHS and Welsh Government.”

The research, Exploring the equity of distribution of general medical services funding allocations in Wales: a time-series analysis, was published in the British Journal of General Practice Open.