November 3rd 2025

By Ailsa Colquhoun

Dispensing included in GPCE negotiating expectations

GPC England has urged the health secretary to deliver fully funded practice IT and EPS for dispensing practices in the forthcoming GP contract for England negotiations. 
In a letter to Wes Streeting, General Practitioners Committee England Chair Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer said: "It is vital that the frustrations being articulated by GPs working so hard to keep their patients safe nationwide are heard."
The letter re-confirms the GP profession’s expectations for forthcoming negotiations in a bid to end the dispute between the DHSC and English GPs which started on 1 October 2025.
Other changes set out by GPCE include to deliver a new substantive GMS practice contract, with an increased weighted patient payment, and involvement in the Carr-Hill funding formula review, as well as safeguarding of online consult requests and write access to the GP Connect Update Record.

In the letter, Dr Bramall-Stainer states that the GP contract uplift for 2025/26 must be seen in the context of the rising costs of service, in particular, staffing costs  
contracts. 

Dispensing IT is included in a reminder of GPCE's "consistent asks" going back to 2023. Other elements include dedicated funding to upgrade GP infrastructure.