FOI2026/1915

I am writing to request the following information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Where possible, please provide the information in spreadsheet form (CSV or Excel), at individual GP practice level, or at Primary Care Network level if practice-level information is not held.

Part A. General practice workforce vacancies

1. For each GP practice in your ICB area, the number of vacant GP posts (headcount and full-time equivalent) as at the most recent date for which information is held, and, where recorded, how long each post has been vacant.

2. If practice-level vacancy information is not held, any aggregate assessment of GP workforce vacancies across the ICB area produced in the last 12 months, for example workforce planning reports or primary care strategy papers.

Part B. Patient list closures and capacity

3. The number of applications or notifications from GP practices relating to closure of their patient lists, whether formal or informal (including managed or temporary closures and agreed restrictions on new registrations), received in each of the financial years 2024/25 and 2025/26 to date, and for each one the practice name, the date received, and the outcome (approved, refused, withdrawn, or agreed).

4. For each of the same financial years, the number of GP practices in your area that closed, merged, or terminated their primary medical services contract, with the practice name and effective date in each case.

5. Any register or list currently maintained by the ICB of practices whose patient lists are formally closed, or subject to agreed restrictions on new patient registrations, as at the date of this request.

6. Any list currently maintained by the ICB of practices identified as requiring support with capacity or sustainability, for example through a primary care risk register or sustainability programme, as at the date of this request. If disclosing practice names would engage an exemption, please provide the information with practice identifiers redacted rather than refusing the item in full.

If any part of this request would exceed the cost limit under section 12 of the Act, please treat each numbered item as severable: provide the information that can be supplied within the limit and advise which items are affected. If any of the information requested is not held by the ICB, please confirm this, and I would welcome an indication under your section 16 duty of which body holds it.

Part A – General practice workforce vacancies

The ICB does not routinely collect or hold the information requested and is therefore unable to provide it.

General practices are required to submit monthly workforce data through the National Workforce Reporting System (NWRS). Whilst this is a mandatory data collection, it records details of the current workforce only and does not include information relating to workforce vacancies.

The ICB also completes an annual operational planning return, which includes workforce projections to support future planning. However, this information is based on projected workforce requirements and does not identify or record vacancies within general practice.

The ICB holds information relating to practices’ utilisation of the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS), including expenditure against allocated funding and the roles currently being funded through the scheme. This information reflects the current workforce supported through the scheme and does not include details of vacant posts.

Accordingly, the ICB does not hold recorded information relating to vacancies in general practice for the purposes of your request.

Part B. Patient list closures and capacity

3. 2024/25 – list closure requests

3a. 2025/26 – list closure requests

No list closure requests received.

4. Closure, Merger, Terminations

2024/25

4a. 2025/26

No Closures, Mergers, Terminations

5. There are no lists currently maintained by the ICB of practices whose patient lists are formally closed, or subject to agreed restrictions on new patient registrations, as at the date of this request.
6. There are no lists currently maintained by the ICB of practices identified as requiring support with capacity or sustainability, for example through a primary care risk register or sustainability programme, as at the date of the request.