The minister says she understands that the healthcare system is under pressure after the increase in the NIC

Health Minister Karin Smyth has said she understands “the real pressures” the healthcare sector is facing due to the increase in employers’ national insurance contributions and that this has been taken into account when allocating funding.

There have been calls to exempt GPs, dentists, hospices and pharmacies from the increase announced in the Chancellor’s Budget last month.

The British Medical Association’s GP committee said the “brutal” increase will force GPs to make cuts “with consequences for patient care”, while the National Pharmacy Association said it has “brought even more pharmacies to the brink of collapse”.

During an urgent question on the issue, the Liberal Democrats branded the increase a “GP punishment” and the Tories urged the government to “admit they were wrong and make a change”.

The minister told the House of Commons: “(The urgent question) gives me the opportunity to say to GPs, dentists, hospices and every part of the healthcare system that will be affected by changes to employers’ national insurance contributions that this Government understands that the the pressures they face and takes their representation seriously.

“The Chancellor took into account the impact of changes to National Insurance when she allocated an additional £26 billion to the Department of Health and Social Care.

“There are established processes for agreeing funding allocations across the system, we are now working through those processes with this issue in mind.”

Labor MP Rachael Maskell (York Central) said the healthcare sector is “really concerned about the increased cost pressures being placed on these services”.

She added: “Will she ensure that there is sufficient within the trickle-down approach that the department will now have to implement to maintain current service levels, but also to achieve the transition that is urgently needed in the health care?”

Ms Smyth said: “The pressure is very real. We understand that pressure. That’s why we’ve committed to supporting the NHS and social care system with that extra funding.”

Conservative former minister Sir Edward Leigh said: “I implore the minister to reconsider and exempt hospices and care homes from this.”

Ms Smyth responded: “We will continue discussions with all affected providers as normal.”

Shadow Minister Dr. Luke Evans, a former GP, said: “Many in the health service would have been pleased to hear the announcement of extra money going to the NHS, only for the joy to be undermined by the realization of a broken manifesto. promise not to increase national insurance contributions.

“This was made worse by the discovery that a whole range of primary care providers – care homes, hospices, charities, pharmacies, GPs, to name a few – were not exempt from the NI increases, leaving them with crippling staff bills. and the threat of closure and layoffs.

“The hospice sector expects costs to reach £30 million pounds, including closures and redundancies. For GPs, the initial estimate could be £260 million, including redundancies and the cost of 2.2 million appointments.

“And for the care sector alone, the changes will cost £2.4 billion, which will be far less than the £600 million announced by social care. So does she accept that council tax will inevitably have to rise to support the increase?”

Dr. Evans added that the “sense of anger among pharmacy owners has been increased exponentially by the Budget”, as he urged the Government to “admit they were wrong and make a change”.

The minister said she was “stunned” by Dr. Evans, adding: “He talks about joy. There was no joy when we inherited the mess they left behind in July.”

She added: “We will go through the normal process of allocating the additional funding, which will be faster than under his government, as we are committed to giving the sector much more certainty.”

In response to a written question from former Tory minister Dr Caroline Johnson, Defense Secretary Al Carns confirmed the cost to the Ministry of Defense would be £216 million.

On Thursday, Liberal Democrat spokesperson Alison Bennett said: “Does the Minister agree with me that stronger primary care with faster appointments and fewer people needing to go to hospital is better for the NHS and for patients, and if so, will she provide services and protect?” put pressure on the Chancellor to end this GP punishment?

Ms Smyth responded: “We will be talking to GP practices in the normal process over the coming months about next year’s allocations as part of the contract reforms.”

Conservative backbencher Sir Roger Gale (Herne Bay and Sandwich) said GPs and hospices now need answers on extra funding to help them cope with the rise for employers.

He said, “Dr. Aleksandra Fox from my constituency’s Ash Surgery is one of several GPs who pointed out to me the damaging effects of a poorly thought out budget.

“Add to that charities like Shooting Star Children’s Hospice and Demelza House Children’s Hospice, which are now facing challenges.

“They cannot wait for discussions through normal channels while this wrong is corrected. When will something be done about it, please?”

Ms Smyth replied: “He says it is a poorly thought out budget. I don’t know whether he agrees or disagrees with the extra funding this government has secured to give to the NHS after the disaster of the last fourteen years.”