Primary medical services training and support for commissioners – 2024

The PCC medical team have a series of workshops covering the management of primary medical service contracts (GMS, PMS, APMS) for 2024.

These training sessions have been designed to support commissioners involved in the management of primary medical services, including anyone working on their behalf. All courses are designed for those who are new in role, those who are potentially going to be responsible for the management of the GP contracts, as well as more experienced team members who would like a refresh.

Each session will be led by one of our medical experts.

Delegates will be encouraged to participate through discussions, exercises, and interactive tools during each of the sessions and will have plenty of opportunity for questions and answers throughout.

These sessions are currently running as online training via MS Teams; however, the medical team are happy to discuss face to face training for local workshops. Contact events@pcc-cic.org.uk for details.

To view a full list of national events with scheduled dates please click event calendar.

Primary care medical contracts: key considerations and variations – an introduction

Over three virtual sessions this course introduces commissioners to the key areas of primary care medical contracts (GMS, PMS and APMS) that they will face in their roles. This course is useful to primary medical services commissioners, particularly those new to their roles or those looking for a refresh.

Training will familiarise commissioners with contract types and who can hold them, services, variation rules, patient lists, practice areas, mergers, incorporation/novation, subcontracting and planned and short notice contract closures. Delegates are expected to attend all three sessions.

Primary medical services: contract management and dispute resolution

Building on the successful and well received 2022-2023 event ‘Primary care medical contracts: key considerations and variations – an introduction’, although not essential to have attended that event, over two virtual sessions this course provides a deeper insight for commissioners to primary medical contract management and dispute resolution challenges they will face in their roles.

While the course is designed for commissioners with some prior working knowledge of the regulatory framework, it will be beneficial to those new to contract management and dispute resolution.

The two sessions allow up to 2.5 hours each to familiarise commissioners with contract management and dispute resolution and provide ample time for learning through group working, feedback, questions, and answers – attendees are encouraged to bring local scenarios to share and discuss to bring the subject to life.

To maximise beneficial learning, delegates are expected to attend both sessions.

Primary medical service: enacting contract variations

Building on the successful and well received 2022-2023 event ‘Primary care medical contracts: key considerations and variations – an introduction’, although not essential to have attended that event, over two virtual sessions this course re-introduces commissioners to primary medical contract variations they will face in their roles.

While the course is designed for commissioners with some prior working knowledge of the regulatory framework, it will be beneficial to those new to contract variations.

The two sessions allow up to 2.5 hours each to familiarise commissioners with contract variations and provide ample time for learning through group working, feedback, questions and answers – attendees are encouraged to bring local scenarios to share and discuss to bring the subject to life.

To maximise beneficial learning, delegates are expected to attend both sessions. These sessions are delivered by PCC’s expert adviser team.

GP patient lists – An overview

This half day virtual event will provide an overview of GP patient registrations and refusals. The session is aimed at those who have little to no knowledge or those looking for a refresh. The event will enable commissioners and those working on their behalf to understand the different types of patient registrations and when these may be refused.

The agenda will cover:

GP practice areas
Patient removals
Patient assignments
Special allocation scheme
Out of area patients
Open and closed patient lists

The training will be led by our medical experts. Delegates will be encouraged to participate with opportunities to discuss current issues and seek solutions with our expert and each other. This course is for commissioners and those working on their behalf.

GP Patient Lists – Patient removals, assignments, and special allocation scheme

This half day virtual event will provide an in depth look at patient removals, assignments, and special allocation scheme (SAS). The session is aimed at those who have little to no knowledge or those looking for a refresh. The event will enable commissioners and those working on their behalf to understand:

Patient removals – types of removal and the contractual obligations underpinning them,
Patient assignments – when these are required and how they should be handled,
Managing inappropriate and unacceptable patient behaviours,
Commissioning and operation of a special allocation scheme for patients who have been, immediately removed from a practice list and the patient appeals process.

Delegates will be encouraged to participate with opportunities to discuss current issues and seek solutions with our expert and each other. This course is for commissioners and those working on their behalf.

GP Patient Lists – Open and closed lists and out of area patients

This half day virtual event will provide an in depth look at open and closed lists and out of area patients. The session is aimed at those who have little to no knowledge or those looking for a refresh. The event will enable commissioners and those working on their behalf to understand:

Open and closed (formal and informal) lists – the implications of these (including for patient assignments) and the process to be followed when a practice wishes to close its list,
GP practice areas (including inner and outer boundaries and what these mean for patient registrations),
Out of area patients – Commissioner and GP practice responsibilities in connection with patients’ addresses: assignments, removals, services to be provided patient removals – types of removal and the contractual obligations underpinning them.

Provider Selection Regime regulations – primary care medical contracts

The Provider Selection Regime regulations came into effect on 1 January 2024. These regulations must now be used by NHS commissioners when procuring new contracts or making and managing amendments to existing contractual arrangements.

These new regulations will have a practical impact on how the commissioning and contract management of primary care medical services is undertaken.

To help commissioners understand these regulations we run this training sessions with Hill Dickinson Solicitors to examine the regulations and using scenarios to bring them to life. This event is for primary care medical commissioners only.

Introduction to the Primary Care Network (PCN) Directed Enhanced Service (DES)

Primary care networks (PCNs) have been an important part of the primary care landscape since 2019. Since the pandemic, the PCN directed enhanced service (DES) has begun to reintroduce service specifications and indicators that had been suspended during the pandemic as well as introduce new delivery requirements.

This three-hour virtual event introduces the PCN DES, its key components, the services provided under it and how commissioners work with PCNs. It is aimed at primary care commissioners who want to understand more about the PCN DES or are new to their role.

Networking surgeries: primary care medical contracts and PCNs

These sessions, available to contract holders who have also purchased helpdesk support and is led by our expert advisers. An opportunity to raise and discuss your queries, concerns, and issues in relation to primary care medical contracts (GMS, PMS, APMS) as well as the network directed enhanced service (DES) and related primary care network (PCN) issues. The session will be via Microsoft Teams.

No set agenda and will be an open discussion with the PCC experts supporting this area. Submit your questions to events@pcc-cic.org.uk or ask them on the day.

NEW Primary medical services: GP patient lists – a networking surgery

Building on the successful Ask the expert sessions of 2022-2023 and a pre-cursor to a new suite of three event sessions focusing on an area requested by commissioners, this is an opportunity for integrated care boards with support packages with PCC to come together to discuss challenges facing them regarding GP patient lists.

While this networking opportunity is designed for commissioners with some prior working knowledge, it will be beneficial to those less involved in GP patient lists. The one-hour surgery has no formal agenda preferring to allow delegates to bring their local issues to discuss with a PCC expert facilitator and each other.

This networking surgery is supplemented by three separately bookable event sessions detailed above these are:

GP patient lists – an overview
GP patient lists – Patient removals, assignments, and special allocation scheme
GP patient lists – Open and closed lists; and out of area patients.