GP Funding Must Not Neglect North - Farron

South Lakes MP Tim Farron has called on the government not to neglect the north of England, as the latest analysis of funding data shows that London's share of funding is set to increase whereas areas in the north including Cumbria are set to see their share fall.

Analysis of NHS England Funding Allocations Data by GPOnline shows that over the next five years, London's share of core medical primary care funding will increase by almost 6% whereas some areas in the North of England will see their share fall by nearly 4%.

The capital is set to gain with its share of total GP funding rising from 15.8% in 2015/16 to 16.7% in 2020/21, a 5.8% growth in its share. Meanwhile the Cumbria and North East region will see its share fall by 3.8% from 6% to 5.8%.

Tim said: "GPs across the country perform a hugely important role, but in order to do that they need to be properly funded by the government.

"Although Cumbria and the North East receives a high level of funding per capita, the reality is that these GP services are often providing services to large rural areas and therefore have a greater need for funding - it is worrying that they are due to see their share of funding fall.

"Unlike in big cities, residents in rural areas often cannot access other services such as hospitals as easily, so rely much more on their GP, and the funding GPs receive needs to reflect this.

"The government talks a lot about the Northern Powerhouse, but it needs to put its money where its mouth is and ensure that services in the north are given the funds they need."