Addressing the Welsh conference of representatives of local medical committees, Dr Gareth Oelmann, Chair of GPC Wales said:

Bore Da, Cyfeillion. It is a pleasure to speak to you today
May I take the opportunity to wish you a very happy International Women’s Day! Let us all take a moment to look around the room and recognise and honour the strength, dedication and talent of our female representatives and staff teams. 

As we gather at the 2025 Welsh LMC Conference, we find ourselves at a critical juncture for general practice in Wales and the UK. The challenges we face are unprecedented. We are at a unique point in time where we have repeatedly needed to ask the question, "If not Now, When?" It is indeed the title of our conference. Through our contract referendum, the general practice profession in Wales answered the question with an unequivocal "It's Now—or Never!"

Coming to the end of the three-year BMA session, it is timely to reflect on our achievements; it is undeniable that significant pressures have weighed heavily on general practice. The pandemic, chronic underfunding, workforce shortages, and rising demand for services have placed an enormous strain on GPs, nurses, and staff across Wales. Indeed, tomorrow marks the fifth anniversary of the onset of the pandemic in the UK. As a nation we will reflect and remember those dark days. Despite the challenges that the pandemic posed, and those thereafter, the profession has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to providing the best possible care for our patients. Your resilience is not just commendable; it is inspiring.

In response to the 'Workforce, Workload and Well-being' pressures, GPC Wales launched a 'Save our Surgeries' campaign in 2023. This entailed coordinated letter-writing campaigns to our MSs, Public petitions, Senedd debates, practice visits and meetings with MSs, all of which contributed to our success in securing a Senedd Health Committee Inquiry into the funding of General practice in Wales. That led us to a contract negotiation standoff in 2023, and a contractual referendum of the profession in 24. Throughout this there has been criticism from some quarters of the strategic long game - but it is clear to see that the professional, political and public lobbying has started to bear fruit. 

However, we cannot continue along this path without fundamental change.  GPs cannot be expected to work harder, longer, and with fewer resources. To sustain general practice in Wales, there needs to be investment in our people, our services, and the communities we serve. 

The workforce crisis is one of our top concerns. We have seen a significant decline in full time equivalent general practitioners, with many reducing their sessions to survive, or leaving the profession entirely due to burnout, stress, and a lack of work-life balance. This issue is not merely about numbers; it impacts the quality of care we can provide and the quality of life for all those who work in general practice. 
 
Welsh Government must develop and enact a comprehensive workforce strategy that not only improves recruitment but meaningfully focuses on retention.  We need a strategy which addresses workload pressures, provides well-being support, and offers clear career progression opportunities for our younger colleagues.  General Practitioners invest in their communities when they join a partnership – that investment must be rewarded appropriately without fear for the future. 
 
It's not only about GPs. We need a whole-team approach that ensures the broader workforce—nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, and administrative staff—is supported, valued, and able to work to their full potential. The future of general practice should involve collaborative multi-disciplinary teams, where each member is empowered to contribute to delivering comprehensive care under the guidance of their GP team. 
 
Funding for general practice remains a critical issue. Conference, it’s a no-brainer! Investing in general practice benefits the entire NHS and the wider economy. Despite this truth universally acknowledged, funding for general practice remains woefully inadequate and continues to decrease as a proportion of overall healthcare spending. 
 
We hope the recent referendum is a ‘turning point’ where the Welsh Government finally understand the fragility of GMS and the anger of the profession. After our referendum, a substantial additional in-year funding quantum was offered, which must be seen as a welcome encouragement for the profession in Wales. Your united voice has been loud and unequivocal. Together you forced the Welsh Government to reflect on and vastly improve its original offer.  
 
While this settlement does not resolve every issue, it provides a solid foundation upon which to build. Accepting the deal, at this point in the year, will give practices the stability they desperately need—as we have called for in our Save Our Surgeries campaign—and will begin to tackle the critical issues facing NHS general practice in Wales.  
 
We understand the non-recurrent elements of the deal are of concern, and we absolutely share your frustrations. As part of this deal, the Welsh Government has assured that negotiations for the 25-26 GMS Contract will begin as early as possible. Given the known, unavoidable costs from April 2025, we will push for the non-recurrent elements of the deal to be made recurrent, as well as increasing levels of resources that can realise the Save Our Surgeries goals.   
 
Conference, we must give credit where it is due and congratulate the new Cabinet Secretary for setting a new tone and direction to negotiations – this must lead to an early and improved GMS contract in 25/26.  But should this support not be forthcoming, we are fully prepared and will not hesitate to approach the profession again to seek your support for collective action. The recent experience of this deal demonstrates what a united profession can achieve.  
 
With that in mind we will shortly be launching our Workforce, Workload and Wellbeing survey for 2025, providing invaluable data for forthcoming negotiations. This gives us an opportunity to take the temperature of the GP profession in Wales and compare to last year’s responses. QR codes linking directly to the survey are available on tables and screens for conference attendees to have a head start on the wider profession!  
 
In parallel, we will also be launching a Practice Finance survey – we are looking for one response per practice to get granular financial detail on the running of your businesses – so we will be targeting GP partners and practice business managers on this one. I’m not expecting anyone here today to be forearmed with the detail of their year-to-date expenses so we would encourage you to sit down with your Practice Managers in coming weeks on this. 
 
Conference, we will continue to advocate for a fairer funding model that reflects the increasing complexity of patient care, the rising demand, and the costs of providing modern, high-quality services. We need a funding model that is flexible enough to address the needs of diverse communities across Wales—whether in rural or urban areas, among older populations, or for those with complex, long-term conditions. Many focus on the Funding model itself, and no one can deny there are issues, but it is without doubt that in a 'zero-sum game', shifting the deck chairs will create as many losers as winners. We need a 'rising tide to lift all boats', and then, with adequate funding, we can look forward to a more sustainable future for general practice. 

None of this will be possible without collaboration. You, the Local Medical Committees, play a vital role in representing the voices of General Practitioners on the ground, ensuring policymakers hear our concerns and challenges. By working together—across GPC Wales, among LMCs, with the Welsh Government, and alongside our colleagues in other parts of the NHS—we will push for the changes we urgently need.  

Our collective strength lies in our unity and collaboration. We are stronger when we unite behind a common cause. Together, our voice is powerful. Through dialogue, cooperation, and unwavering determination, we will advocate for the changes necessary to make general practice in Wales a sustainable, fulfilling, and patient-centred career for future generations. 

The road ahead will not be easy, but it is one we must walk together. I am proud to be part of this profession, and I am confident that together, we will create a future where general practice in Wales thrives—not just survives. 

Diolch.