Millions more GP appointments are now being delivered across England, with 2,000 additional GPs hired since October, as part of the government’s Plan for Change to rebuild the NHS and bring back the family doctor.
The recruitment drive is helping to shift care out of hospitals and into communities, ending the 8am scramble and making it easier for patients to access timely, personalised care.
In May 2025 alone, an extra 12,000 GP appointments were delivered every working day compared to the same month in 2024. The new GPs are expected to deliver over 4 million additional appointments per year.
Recent ONS figures show significant improvements in patient experience:
- The number of patients struggling to contact their GP practice fell from 18.7% to 10.6%
- 96.3% of patients who tried to contact their practice were successful
- Poor experiences dropped from 15% to 10.9%
When the government took office, 1,399 fewer fully qualified GPs were working than a decade earlier, and over 1,000 newly qualified GPs faced unemployment due to red tape. An £82 million investment helped unlock recruitment, with funding continuing beyond this year.
Wes Streeting, Health and Social Care Secretary, said:
“We said we’d deliver 1,000 more GPs this year – and we’ve busted that target, bringing 2,000 more GPs on board. With proper investment and reform we are turning the tide on our NHS, and patients are beginning to feel the benefit.
“We still have a long road ahead, and this government is determined to keep our foot on the gas.
“Our Plan for Change will deliver this progress, creating a Neighbourhood Health Service that puts GPs at its heart and makes sure the NHS is there for everyone, whenever they need it.”
The Plan for Change is backed by £26 billion in NHS investment, including £102 million for over 1,000 GP surgeries to expand capacity and deliver 8.3 million more appointments annually.
The government’s 10-Year Health Plan, launched last month, will train thousands more GPs and create a Neighbourhood Health Service—bringing together pioneering teams under one roof to deliver care closer to home.
The upgraded NHS App will also serve as a digital front door, helping patients manage appointments, access advice, and interact with services more easily.
Image credit: iStock
