Responding to the Liberal Democrats announcement for a new rural GP fund to support doctors', Ruth Rankine, director of the primary care network at the NHS Confederation, said:

“GPs and their teams have been working incredibly hard to meet ever increasing demand. In April, practices held more than 30 million appointments, over 20 million of which were face to face, and more than 50 per cent on the same or next day, proving that no matter the weather general practice teams are pulling out all the stops.

“However, we know there is variation in how easy it is for patients to access GP services which can cause huge frustration. This stems from the continued underfunding of general practice to cope with increasing levels of demand and complexity which has not kept pace with population increases and pressures elsewhere in the system.

“With around 100,000 vacancies in the NHS, the only way this can be tackled is by properly funding the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan. That is why we want a commitment from all political parties that the plan will be fully funded and delivered if they form the next government. Furthermore, it is crucial we ensure that we have fit for purpose primary care estate to enhance performance. That is why we are calling on the next government to ensure a greater proportion of any new NHS funding be directed into primary care.”