March 20th 2025

By Ailsa Colquhoun

Two rural APPG MPs vote for NI increases

Ony two rural services APPG MPs voted to uphold proposed employer NI increases yesterday in Parliament.

Of the APPG on Rural Services member MPs, only Joe Morris (Hexham) and (pictured) Callum Anderson (Buckingham & Bletchley) followed their Labour party lead in the Commons decision yesterday, when MPs voted 307 to 182 in favour of rejecting the Lords’ proposed exemption for GPs and other providers. The majority of APPG on Rural Services MPs, who are liberal democrats, voted to uphold the Lords proposed exemptions for GPs.

The DDA is working with GPC to secure increases to the 'cost' element of the dispensing fee. Commenting, DDA chief executive Matthew Isom said that without this, dispensing practices - with their higher staff numbers - will remain out of pocket because of the NI increases, despite the GP contract settlement for England.