Dear Patients,
In 2024, the Welsh Government pays £126.00 per patient per year through the General Medical Services (GMS) contract to provide healthcare at GP surgeries. However, before this funding reaches surgeries, it is adjusted by the Carr-Hill formula—a mechanism that modifies payments based on factors like demographics and levels of poverty. This formula applies an equal, positive, or negative multiplier to the GMS payment.
At Whitchurch Road Surgery, our Carr-Hill score is 0.75, meaning we receive only 75% of the £126. This equates to £94.50 per year, or just 25 pence per day.
For this modest amount, patients are entitled to unlimited access to GPs, nurses, and pharmacists, as well as additional services such as physiotherapy, mental health support, and sexual health clinics. This 25 pence per day also covers the administrative and reception support essential to keeping the surgery running smoothly. To put this into perspective, in today’s economy, 25 pence might buy you half an apple.
The ongoing funding crisis, exacerbated by the continued application of the Carr-Hill formula, places an unreasonably low value on your healthcare. To illustrate the disparity, consider Pontycymmer Surgery, a GP practice with the same patient list size as ours but a Carr-Hill score of 1.18. Patients at that surgery are valued at £148 per year, or 41 pence per day—43% higher than the value placed on your healthcare, despite having comparable healthcare needs.
Do you feel it is fair that your healthcare at Whitchurch Road Surgery is valued at just 25 pence per day by the Welsh Government? If not, we urge you to help us address this injustice. Please contact your MP or MS to express your concerns and ask them to investigate this issue as a matter of urgency.
The current funding levels are unsustainable. Without change, the quality of the healthcare services we provide will inevitably suffer. Your support could make a significant difference in ensuring fair and adequate funding for Whitchurch Road Surgery.
Please click here to view detailed information about the Carr-Hill formula and its impact on GP surgeries in Wales.
Additionally, click here to view a Freedom of Information Act response revealing that the Welsh Government has limited understanding or oversight of how the Carr-Hill formula affects GP surgeries across Wales.
Thank You
The Whitchurch Road Surgery Team