View all news

GP contract 2024/25

NHS England published a letter on 28 February, setting out the arrangements for the GP contract in 2024/25.  Following feedback from the profession and patients, they aim to provide simpler and more flexible arrangements which help practices free up time and improve patient access and experience.  The focus therefore is on embedding last year’s recovery plan rather than increasing targets or contractual requirements.  The key changes are:

Cutting bureaucracy

  • Increase from 19 to 32 the number of quality and outcomes framework (QOF) indicators that are suspended and income protected
  • Reduce the from five to two the number of indicators under the investment and impact fund (the associated funding is moved to the capacity and access payment.  The retained indicators are:
    • Learning disability health checks
    • The use of FIT testing in cancer referral pathways

Helping practices with cash flow and increasing flexibilities

  • QOF aspiration payment raised from 70% to 80%
  • Capacity and access improvement payment (CAIP) payable at the point confirmation that primary care networks (PCNs) meet criteria is received (rather than following year end)
    • Self-declaration by clinical director

Giving PCNs more staffing flexibility

  • Enhanced nurses added to the additional roles reimbursement (ARRS) scheme
  • Removal of caps on all other direct patient care roles
  • Other non-nurse and non-doctor multi-disciplinary team roles now allowed to be recruited, subject to agreement with the integrated care board (ICB)
  • Increased flexibility to recruit mental health practitioners – employment / engagement continues to be through the mental health provider
  • Caps on advanced practitioners removed
  • Reimbursement for the time personalised care roles undertake training or apprenticeships now claimable

Simplification of directed enhanced service (DES) requirements

  • Enhanced access to remain a specific specification
  • All other service specifications to be replaced with a single overarching specification

Increasing autonomy for PCNs

  • PCN clinical director role to be focussed on specific responsibilities
  • Clinical director, PCN leadership and management payment rolled into core PCN funding
    • No restrictions or reporting requirements on the use of the funding

Improving patient experience of access

  • Eight key reporting metrics required from practices
    • Required to support primary care demand and capacity discussions nationally
  • Reporting to become automated in October
  • Updated delivery plan to be published (no date as yet)

Other changes to the core practice contract will be introduced to make registration easier, recognise the importance of the continuity of care, requirement to submit workforce information on a quarterly basis and confirmation that the weight management enhanced service is to continue.

The letter also confirmed that now the five-year framework has ended, there will be a return to the Doctors and Dentists Review Body (DDRB) as the means for determining pay uplifts.  Recommendations have not yet been made and so an assumption of 2% pay growth has been changed.  This may be reconsidered following the government response to the DDRB.

PCC provides support to commissioners and practices visit www.pcc-cic.org.uk to find out more or contact enquiries@pcc-cic.org.uk

Last Updated on 1 March 2024