01/08/2025
**Why We Wrote to the Welsh Government About GP Funding.**
We, the GPs and practice teams from North Cardiff, have written to the Health Minister because the way GP surgeries are funded in Wales is unfair and out of date.
At the moment, our practices receive 20% less money than the UK average for every patient we care for. This is because of a formula called Carr-Hill, which was designed over 25 years ago in England. It no longer reflects the real needs of patients in Wales today.
**What This Means for You as a Patient**
Because of this outdated funding system:
Our practices get paid for only 84,000 patients, even though we care for 105,000 patients.
This creates a £2.6 million shortfall each year for North Cardiff surgeries.
That money could pay for around 135,000 more GP appointments a year (about 2,600 every week).
This is one of the reasons it can sometimes be hard to get a GP appointment when you need one.
**Why the Formula is Unfair**
It uses very old data from the 1990s to estimate patient needs.
It ignores fixed costs like staff and building expenses, which we can’t reduce even if the formula says we should.
**What We’re Asking the Government To Do**
We are not asking for more money overall. We are asking for a fair share of the existing funding, so that every patient in Wales is treated equally. Specifically, we want:
A proper, up-to-date review of the GP funding formula in Wales.
Until then, for funding increases to be based on real patient numbers, not on an inaccurate formula.
**Why This Matters**
This affects every single patient in North Cardiff.
Unfair funding:
Makes it harder to get an appointment
Adds pressure on A&E, 111, and hospitals
Risks the long-term sustainability of GP services in the area
We believe a fair funding system will help improve access, quality of care, and the future of general practice for you and your family.
The letter was signed by every GP Partner across the 10 GP Practices in North Cardiff, as well as Practice Managers and salaried GPs.
