The current £485 million uplift to the 2026/27 GP contract brings welcome investment for general practice, with measures designed to support GP recruitment, improve access to urgent care and strengthen preventive healthcare. For many practices, these changes present an opportunity to expand capacity, recruit new colleagues and enhance patient services.
However, new opportunities can also bring extra professional responsibilities and demands. As roles evolve, workloads shift, and practices grow, an individual GP’s medico-legal risk profile may also change. Whether you are newly recruited, taking on additional responsibilities, or in a leadership role with a practice expanding its workforce, now is a good time to make sure your personal indemnity arrangements remain appropriate for your current scope of practice.
This article explores how the 2026/27 contract changes could influence medico-legal exposure and explains how Medical Defense Society can help ensure your medico-legal protection keeps pace as your role evolves.
What has changed in the 2026/27 contract?
In February, NHS England confirmed a £485 million uplift to the 2026/27 GP contract. The changes focus on expanding GP capacity, enabling clinically urgent same-day access and strengthening preventive healthcare through updates to the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) and vaccination programmes. The new, imposed contract also mandates use of Advice and Guidance where clinically appropriate, to support timely specialist input and reduce unnecessary referrals.
Supporting the aim to improve GP capacity, a new practice-level GP reimbursement scheme has been introduced, enabling practices to recruit additional GPs or increase existing GP sessions using repurposed funding from the primary care network (PCN)-level Capacity and Access Payment.
Furthermore, changes to the rules and maximum reimbursement for the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) will help PCNs recruit a wider range of GPs, not only recently qualified GPs.
This strengthening of GP capacity is intended to facilitate same–day access for patients with clinically urgent needs. The contract now explicitly requires that ‘requests identified as clinically urgent, as determined by the GP practice, must be dealt with on the same day’. In addition, practices must provide timely responses for non-urgent cases by the end of the next core hours period.
Expanding capacity can mean changes to professional responsibilities
While the contract uplift may create more GP roles and additional sessions, these opportunities also bring new responsibilities, supervision duties and partnership liabilities.
If you are newly recruited, transitioning into a new role brings fresh challenges and the need to develop additional skills. Likewise, if you are supervising new colleagues, you may face greater accountability for delegation, oversight and clinical decision-making.
As your role evolves, it is important that your medico-legal protection keeps pace with your professional responsibilities.
Same-day urgent access commitments may increase medico-legal exposure
New contractual obligations, particularly around patient access to online requests and queries, may create additional pressures for GPs. Indeed, amid concerns about excessive workloads, the BMA is campaigning for the Government to address the ‘unsustainable demands and unsafe rationing of care’ following a referendum vote to reject the 2026/27 contract changes. The BMA General Practitioners Committee England has argued that the unlimited same-day urgent care demands are unsafe and that practices need more support to practise safely.
You should be aware of potential medico-legal risks when implementing same-day urgent access. Greater reliance on digital triage and remote assessment may make it harder to correctly identify red flags for serious illness and urgent clinical need, particularly during periods of high demand. In this digital-first era, you should follow the GMC’s remote consultations guidance and establish appropriate safeguards.
As clinical workflows evolve, it is worth reviewing whether your medico-legal arrangements remain appropriate for your current scope of practice. This is particularly important as increasing demand and new contractual obligations may bring greater scrutiny of clinical decision-making, documentation and safety netting.
Newly appointed GPs should review their medico-legal protection
For newly appointed GPs, it is easy to focus on salary, sessions, workload and career progression. However, ensuring that your professional indemnity arrangements reflect your new role is just as important.
State-backed indemnity schemes automatically cover clinical negligence liabilities for GPs and GP trainees providing NHS services in England and Wales (for incidents occurring on or after 1 April 2019). However, the General Medical Council (GMC) requires doctors to have appropriate insurance or indemnity arrangements that reflect the full scope of their practice.
While NHS-backed indemnity provides essential protection for clinical negligence claims, it does not remove the need for specialist medico-legal support. At different stages of your career, you may require expert advice and assistance with complaints, GMC investigations, disciplinary or performers list matters, inquests, private or portfolio practice, and other professional issues that can affect both their career and reputation.
As your responsibilities change, reviewing your membership with Medical Defense Society helps ensure you have access to the right level of protection and expert support if challenges arise.
Newly recruited GPs: what to check
Taking on a new role or broader responsibilities is the ideal time to make sure your medico-legal arrangements match the work you do. Consider whether your work includes only NHS practice or also private work, extended hours, urgent care, specialist clinics, remote consultations or portfolio roles. While some employers provide additional insurance or indemnity, GPs should always check exactly what is covered and whether it reflects their own scope of practice.
If you are unsure, Medical Defense Society can offer expert advice. In addition to indemnity, our specialist medico-legal support provides access to confidential guidance on complaints, regulatory investigations, inquests and other professional challenges, as well as practical risk management advice to help you navigate an evolving primary care landscape.
Practices also have a role to play. As they recruit and expand capacity, practice managers should encourage new GPs to review their protection before starting work and confirm their insurance or indemnity arrangements as part of pre-employment checks. The BMA also advises that GP partners and practice owners should consider whether additional cover for corporate or vicarious liability is appropriate, seeking specialist advice where needed.
Your defence partner: support that evolves with your career
Whether you are starting a new GP role, expanding your responsibilities or supervising new colleagues, now is a good time to make sure your medico-legal protection is adequate and appropriate for your role. Contact Medical Defense Society to review your membership and ensure it reflects your current scope of practice. Our specialist medico-legal support provides expert advice when you need it, alongside practical guidance and risk management resources to help you practise with confidence.
