A GP has described the Government's plans to increase employers National Insurance on primary care sector (GPs, care homes, pharmacies and hospices) as “Schrödinger’s primary care”: GPs are seen as private contractors, so not exempt from the NI increases, but they are exempt from the small business relief because they are deemed to be “public”.
I asked the Health Secretary whether the Department of Health team knowingly went along with the Treasury team’s plan to tax primary care without mitigation, leading to cuts? Or did his team not understand or spot the complexity of what is going on, so mitigations have to be put in place now?
You can see his response here.
