GP and primary care in Wales has reached a critical point, with “bold action” needed to ensure more services can be delivered closer to people’s homes, a report has said.

A new report by the Senedd’s Health and Social Care Committee warns that without more focus on primary and preventative care the NHS in Wales will continue to struggle to meet rising demand.

The Committee calls on the incoming Welsh Government to shift more services from secondary care into the community, making sure people have access to strong, well-resourced primary and preventative care earlier and more conveniently.

It stresses that this will require a carefully managed transition, with a commitment to double funding for a period of time.

Committee chair Peter Fox MS, said: “General practice and primary care are the cornerstone of our NHS.

“If we are to ease the growing pressures across the whole health system, we must shift towards prevention and ensure people can access services closer to home.

“This means investing in care that helps people stay well and receive treatment earlier in their communities, but doing so in a way that is safe, planned, and properly supported.

“Delivering a truly community‑focused model will require bold action, and we must restore patients’ trust in their local services.

“The message is clear, we cannot resolve the pressures in our hospitals unless we strengthen general practice and primary care.”

Over the course of its inquiry, the Committee took evidence from GPs, practice nurses, practice managers and other health professionals, and from representative bodies including British Medical Association and Royal College of General Practitioners.

The report’s key recommendations include a phased shift of selected services into primary and community care, a strengthened focus on prevention, an urgent review of the GP funding formula, improved GP access standards, and a national workforce plan.