Changes To Doctors' Contract Announced
Date: 02 Nov 2011
Changes to the GMS Contract for 2012-13 have been announced following negotiation between the GPC and NHS Employers.
These alterations include:
- an agreement not to increase GP pay, in line with other NHS doctors
the piloting of arrangements that will allow patients greater choice of which GP to use - changes to what happens if a patient moves a short distance, allowing many people, where clinically appropriate, to stay in their current GP practice even if they move home - which is important to many patients
- the introduction of a new scheme that aims to reduce avoidable Accident and Emergency (A&E) visits. Often patients go to A&E when they could receive excellent and efficient care instead from their GP practice
- revisions to the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF), which provides resources for GP practices for delivering excellent care and best practice
The one-year GP pilot will test two models by which patients in England can have more choice over which GP practice they use. Patients will be able to choose a GP practice near where they work or elsewhere as long as it is within the two or three cities in the trial area (which are not yet announced). This will give them far greater flexibility than the existing option that limits people to having GPs near where they live.
Stephen Golledge, lead negotiator for the NHS Employers organisation, says:
“These changes to the GMS contract put a strong emphasis on improved patient care, greater choice for patients and value for money for the NHS. This agreement will help in addressing the financial challenges faced by the wider NHS but not at the expense of services for patients. The choice of GP practice pilots will also allow us to explore the best way for patients to access the services provided by GPs.”
The BMA’s GPC Committee’s Deputy Chairman, Dr Richard Vautrey, says:
“Most GPs were against the complete abolition of practice boundaries because of the potential negative impact on continuity of care, so we’re pleased that we have been able to agree this alternative which will help commuters as well as patients who move out of a practice’s boundary but want to stay registered. It will be important to learn from the results of the pilots. The NHS is operating in a difficult financial climate and while GPs, like other doctors, won’t get a pay rise, we’ve worked hard to ensure practices get some compensation for rising expenses and that the changes made are consistent with good clinical practice.”
Key changes to the GMS Contract for 2012-13
Uplift to the GMS contract
- there will be no increase to General Medical Practitioners’ pay in 2012/13
- there will be an uplift of 0.5 per cent to the GMS contract to help meet the costs of increased practice expenses, including pay increases for employed staff with a full time equivalent salary of less than £21,000.
Quality and Outcomes Framework
- A number of changes to QOF following the recommendations made by NICE including the introduction of two new disease areas; osteoporosis and peripheral arterial disease.
- The QP prescribing indicators will end on 31 March 2012 and will be replaced by a number of indicators which aim to reduce avoidable accident and emergency attendances. These indicators will initially be in place for one year.
- It has also been agreed to extend (for one year) the emergency admissions and referrals indicators.
- It has been agreed to increase a number of upper and lower thresholds.
Extended Hours Access Directed Enhanced Services
- the Extended Hours Access Directed Enhanced Service (DES) has been extended by one year (to 31st March 2013). The requirements and funding remain the same.
Clinical Directed Enhanced Services
- two clinical DESs in England (alcohol and learning disabilities) will be extended for a further year (to 31 March 2013).
- the osteoporosis DES will end on 31 March 2012. New indicators relating to osteoporosis have been included in QOF from April 2012.