17 April 2025

Responding to the Department of Health and Social Care's announcement on the expansion of the Advice and Guidance GP scheme, Chief Executive of the Patients Association, Rachel Power, said:

“We welcome the expansion of the Advice and Guidance scheme, which has the potential to give people the care they need more quickly and closer to home. Making it easier for GPs to access expert advice and avoid unnecessary hospital referrals is a step in the right direction, and a promising sign of progress in delivering more joined-up care.

"But the success of the scheme will depend on genuine partnership between patients, GPs, and specialists. Patients must be equal partners in conversations about their care, with the agency and power to take part in shared decision-making that recognises their expertise in their own lives.

"To make this work, we need transparency around how GP capacity challenges will be addressed, and we need to see proper investment in resources, training, and support for shared decision-making. Patient experience must be measured and acted on, because better care isn’t just about reducing waiting lists, it’s about improving outcomes for every patient, in every community.”

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