Funding for GP services in Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent has been slashed by almost £11 million in real terms since 2019, research commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has revealed.

The House of Commons Library analysis looks at funding for General Practices over the past four years once inflation is taken into account. It shows that real funding per patient across our local NHS Integrated Care Board ICB area has fallen by 7.1% since 2019. The cut comes despite growing need for GP services and increasing pressure on general practice from overloaded services elsewhere.

Nationally, GP practices have received a 6.9% real terms cut in funding per patient since 2019, whilst NHS waiting lists are near record numbers at 7.6 million.

Meanwhile our Government talks of tax cuts. Instead they should be raising tax from those few with broad shoulders – and saving our public services.