How many general medical practitioners it expects to be employed in 2014-15.

NHS board-employed status, as opposed to independent contractor status, became a mainstream contractual option for general medical practitioners through the new General Medical Services Contract, implemented from April 2004.
The future number of general medical practitioners who may be employed by NHS boards is dependent upon the commissioning arrangements which NHS boards put in place for their primary medical services. However, it is anticipated that employed status might develop particularly in rural and remote areas and for Out-of-Hours services.
The number of general medical practitioners who provide NHS services in 2014-15 will also be affected by changes in the way that primary medical services are delivered over the next ten years, which in turn will be affected by changes in the demand placed on the NHS, by the changing balance between primary and secondary care, by changes in skill mix in the workforce, and by developments in medical practice. This makes it impracticable to project a precise number ten years ahead.
However, work is underway to make longer term projections for general medical practitioners as part of the national workforce planning process and preparation for the next National Workforce Plan, which is expected to be published in spring 2005.