What the GPDF levy does
In brief, the voluntary levy is as a fund controlled by LMCs and administered by the General Practitioners Defence Fund (GPDF), to protect and advance the interests of LMCs and the GPs they represent. The fund pays for critical elements of how GPs have their voices heard, particularly at national level, that are not funded by any other means.
What this means
- The levy is used to fund GPs when representing LMCs at a national level on the General Practitioners Committee (GPC.) The true costs for a GP to take time out of their practice to attend meetings is simply not covered in full by the BMA and the levy makes up this shortfall.
Specifically, the BMA does not recompense or compensate a GP for attendance at committee and other meetings until they have attended 24 days’ worth of meetings. We pay from day one. Similarly, we pay a rate which is much closer to the cost of a locum for a day, paying £607/day, rather than the £250 the BMA pays.
Meeting this commitment cost is expected to cost £627,000 in 2026.
- A significant amount of the levy is used to pay remuneration to the GPC Executive Team. In 2026, this is anticipated to be £1,318,000.
- The GPDF levy also covers the costs of all LMC conferences where LMCs debate and pass motions which then become BMA policy, determining the direction of our representatives. Each nation has a conference, as well as a UK conference for matters which are of interest to all. Costs covered include venue hire, BMA staffing costs, conference materials and running costs.
Meeting this commitment cost is expected to cost £573k in 2026.
- The levy is used to fund projects that increase the effectiveness of LMCs. The projects are in areas where scope and benefit are greater than a single LMC could manage. By funding collectively, we can take on bigger challenges than any one LMC could do.
- Nationally, GPDF is currently funding the Rebuild GP campaign and the LMC support network, supporting practices and LMCs. Before this was funded, LMC Nominees voted to express their support for the Board to do this.
- The GPDF levy also funds legal cases, challenging contractual issues or establishing precedent for matters of importance to practices and LMCs.
How the levy is administered
The GPDF is, in simple terms, the funding arm of GP representation. Practices pay LMCs, LMCs pay the voluntary GPDF levy and GPDF administers the fund. There is a funding agreement in place with the BMA, which is called the Deed of Grant.
The levy cost and increase
The voluntary levy has been set for the last few years at 3p per patient, or to put this another way, for my own practice of roughly 9000 patients, £270 per year. At our last AGM in September 2025 LMCs voted to increase the levy to 5p per patient, or again for the practice, in the example it is increased £450 per year.
This is in the context of having been 6p per patient up to 2018. It was reduced, temporarily, in recognition of the pressures that practices were and are under, and the reserves that GPDF had that could be spent down. This is on the background of GMS income (in England, where I work) increasing from £93.46 in 2020/21, to £123.34 in 2025/26.
GPDF’s budgeted expenditure for the coming year is just under 7p per patient, more if we factor in the inflationary uplift to the Deed of Grant (funding agreement with the BMA) as well as inflationary pressures to conference costs. In addition, we also have a number of requests for additional funding to be considered.
Recognising that significantly spending more than our income is not a sustainable long-term strategy, the LMCs approved an increase in the voluntary levy to 5p from April 2026. We continue to spend more than this in defence of General Practice, but we are continuing to spend down the reserves in a controlled way, as well as reducing our costs both in terms of admin overheads and director remuneration.
I would be delighted to attend any LMC meeting to answer any questions regarding our work. My email address is roger.scott@gpdf.org.uk and I would be happy to receive any queries there too.