News alert / Health inequalities alert

The opportunity to use GPs and primary care networks (PCNs) to reduce health inequalities hasn’t been fully realised, according to new research by the Health Foundation. Government investment in PCNs amounted to £2.4bn in 2023/24, but poorer areas in England are missing out on funding and additional staff because the greater health needs of their populations are not adequately taken into account by current funding arrangements. The Health Foundation says the skewed funding is particularly concerning as PCNs are tasked with reducing health inequalities. With new funding contracts for PCNs and GPs under negotiation, the foundation is urging NHS England to reform its formulae to ensure PCNs in areas of high deprivation receive the funding they need. GPs in the most deprived areas of England could collectively benefit from an extra £18.6m a year, it says.