Government handling of GP Contract staggeringly incompetent

10.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 3rd Mar 2008

The new GP contract in England has cost the Government £1.76bn more than predicted in its first three years but productivity has fallen, according to a report by the National Audit Office. The spending watchdog also said that primary care trusts had not used powers to force better access for patients.

Liberal Democrat Health spokesperson Norman Lamb said "The Government's handling of the GP contract has been staggeringly incompetent. It's clear that ministers had no realistic idea of the likely cost to the taxpayer or impact on patient care. People are now almost £2 billion out of pocket while getting less access to their doctor. Ministers must act urgently on this and other independent reviews to reform the contract, so that improving patient services becomes a priority."