18,000 Shropshire GP appointments at risk due to tax hike

Analysis by Liberal Democrat MPs has revealed that the rise in employers’ national insurance announced at the Budget could put over 18,000 GP appointments in Shropshire at risk due to increased costs to practices.

North Shropshire Helen Morgan has been calling on the Labour Government to ‘urgently rethink’ the changes and scrap the hike. Ministers have so far refused to do this, but will be facing pressure with Lib Dem MPs preparing amendments to upcoming legislation on the Budget which would exempt GPs from the National Insurance rise.

The MP has also been calling for the exemption to apply to NHS dentists, carers, pharmacies, hospices, and other forms of primary care.

The Institute of General Practice Management has estimated that the rise will mean the average GP surgery’s tax bill will go up by around £20,000 a year. This could end up costing the 51 GP surgeries in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin over £1 million.

This is the equivalent cost of providing 18,214 GP appointments, at an average of £56 per appointment.

Helen Morgan has reiterated her call for the Government to scrap the tax on GP surgeries.

Helen Morgan, Liberal Democrat MP for North Shropshire, said, “GPs in rural counties like Shropshire are set to be hammered by higher taxes at a time when people are already struggling to get an appointment and access the care they need.

“Hiking taxes on GP surgeries is a false economy, and there needs to be some careful, rational thinking about the impact fewer appointments will have. To fix our NHS, we need to fix our primary care system – that’s GP practices, carers, dentists, and more. Failure to do this will only increase pressures on the NHS and as a result, increase costs, which the taxpayer has to pick up down the line.

“The Chancellor must urgently rethink these proposals and exempt GPs from this misguided tax hike. We cannot rescue local health services whilst burdening them with even more costs.”