NHS Employers, 30 September 2014
- NHS Employers and the General Practitioners Committee of the BMA has announced changes to the GMS contract in England for 2015/16. The changes include the following:
- A named, accountable GP for all patients (including children) who will take lead responsibility for the co-ordination of all appropriate services required under the contract. (see the press release from Jeremy Hunt Personalised GP care for everyone 30 Sept 2014)
- Publication of GP net earnings - practices will publish average net earnings (to include contractor and salaried GPs) relating to 2014/15, as well as the number of full and part time GPs associated with the published figure.
- Further commitment to expand and improve the provision of online services for patients, including extending online access to medical records and the availability of online appointments.
- Changes to the QOF : adjustment of point value for 2015/16 taking account of population growth and relative changes in practice list size for one year from 1 January 2014 to 1 January 2015; deferment for one year of changes in thresholds planned for April 2015.
- The avoiding unplanned admissions (AUA) enhanced service will be extended for a further year from 1 April 2015
- The patient participation enhanced service will end and associated funding will be reinvested into global sum. From 1 April 2015, it will be a contractual requirement for all practices to have a patient participation group (PPG) and to make reasonable efforts for this to be representative of the practice population.
- The alcohol enhanced service will end and associated funding will be reinvested into global sum. From 1 April 2015 it will be a contractual requirement for all practices to identify newly registered patients aged 16 or over who are drinking alcohol at increased or higher risk levels.
- GPC, NHS England and NHS Employers will work together to develop more consistent guidance for the provision of enhanced minor surgery services.
- The extended hours and learning disabilities enhanced services will be extended and unchanged for a further year.
- Assurance on out of hours provision has been agreed to ensure that all service providers are delivering out of hours care in line with the National Quality Requirements (or any successor quality standards).
- GPC, NHS Employers and NHS England will have a broader strategic discussion about the primary care estate, especially to support the transfer of care into a community setting.
- NHS England and GPC will re-examine the Carr-Hill formula with the aim of adapting the formula to better reflect deprivation.
