A new GP contract for Northern Ireland has been agreed between the Department of Health and the Northern Ireland General Practitioners Committee (NIGPC), accompanied by an additional £40m over two years for improvements in patient access and primary care activity. Health Minister Robbie Butler said the deal must deliver more appointments and services for people who need them.

The 2026/27 General Medical Services contract includes a further £17.384m in-year funding, of which £13.3m is recurring investment in core GP services. The separate £40m will be provided at £20m per year for two years, subject to provisions within the deal, particularly engagement with the neighbourhood model of care.

The agreement follows more than a year of collective action by GPs, which began after a disputed financial package was imposed in May 2025. That action included GPs limiting appointments to 25 per day and withdrawing non-contractual services. The NIGPC has now committed to ending the collective action and to rebuilding a constructive working relationship with the Department.

Dr Frances O'Hagan of the British Medical Association said the £40m would be used to hire more GPs and receptionists to increase capacity in surgeries. She described the investment as a start but said it was by no means all that is needed. She noted that primary care in Northern Ireland receives less than 5% of the health budget while providing 95% of consultations, compared with a recommended level of around 10%.

Philip McGuigan, Sinn Féin health spokesperson and chair of Stormont's Health Committee, welcomed the agreement but said more details are needed, including where the money is coming from. He said patients will judge the deal on whether they can get an appointment when they need one.

The contract also includes changes to reimbursement for locum cover and revised childhood vaccination arrangements with incentives to improve uptake. The Department pointed to a separate £61m Transformation Fund investment over five years in the Primary Care Multidisciplinary Team Programme, which supports teams of professionals working in primary care.

The 2026/27 contract is the first stage of a three-year programme intended to stabilise general practice before moving to wider changes and a reformed contract. Specific access targets and a timetable for improvements have not yet been set out.