Accelerated Access to Records Programme update
Following on from the guidance that GPC England (GPCE) shared with practices last Friday, we are expecting to continue dialogue with NHS England in the coming week to ascertain how practices can be best supported in the lead up to the 31st October go-live date and beyond.
Practices are strongly advised to carry out a practice Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) if they have not already done so, and may wish to use the BMA’s DPIA as a template. This can be found here alongside a suite of resources (listed below) which practices can use in helping to prepare for prospective records access to their patients;
GPCE remains committed to supporting practices as they navigate this programme and will refresh and cascade resources on a regular basis.
Read our full guidance here
Update on negotiations relating to DDRB recommended 6% uplift
In 2023/24, the Doctors’ and Dentists’ Pay Review Body (DDRB) recommended a 6% award to salaried GPs, which was subsequently extended to all non-ARRS salaried general practice staff by the Department of Health and Social Care in July.
This is separate to the Agenda for Change (AfC) 5% uplift, which was agreed with the government by the AfC unions earlier this year. In April 2023, a 2.1% uplift was included in the contract funding for 2023/24 to cover ‘staffing expenses (not related to GP contractors)’. The DHSC and NHS England (NHSE) therefore applied another 3.9% uplift to the staffing expenses element of the GP contract to bring the total uplift for 2023/24 to 6%. NHSE has confirmed that this element of funding is calculated to contribute to both the costs of salary, and on-costs, such as Employers’ National Insurance contributions, Employers’ Superannuation payments – into their employees’ pensions – and other staff benefits.
The additional 3.9% of funding will be distributed via global sum, and an eight-month payment should be made in November 2023 (April – November 2023 inclusive).
Global sum (payment per weighted patient)
2022/23 – £99.70
Original 2023/24 - £102.28
Uplifted 2023/24 - £104.73
Other uplifts
GPC England (GPCE) also requested that the Trainer’s Grant, which did not form part of the DDRB recommendations this year, was uplifted by 6% – this has been agreed. A further GPCE request to uplift the SFE payment levels for sickness and parental leave, in line with trying to help address the gender pay gap, was not agreed.
In addition, DHSC and NHSE have applied an increase of 4.24% to the profit element of the dispensing fee scale. This funding is reflected in the October release.
Please contact us on info.lmcqueries@bma.org.uk if you have any questions.
Read a summary of the changes
Best Practice Show
The BMA had a dedicated theatre at the Best Practice Show held this week at the NEC Birmingham, with a programme focussed on the most pressing issues facing sessional GPs and GP partners, including safe working and workload management, patient access to records, the future of general practice, GP contracts and more.
On Wednesday David Wrigley, GPC England deputy chair, delivered a focused and practical session on how practices could prepare for the Accelerates Access to Records roll out, and highlighted the resources and guidance produced by the BMA to support them.
There were a number of other talks from GPC England and the Sessional GPs Committee, with a closing session on ‘General Practice – what’s next?’ with an expert panel with Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer (Chair, GPC England), Dr Mark Steggles (Chair, Sessional GPs Committee) and Dr Samira Anane (Deputy Chair, GPC England), discussing the current hot topics and themes that emerged from GP attendees across the course of the conference. Read the programme for the two days here
New BMA guidance for sessional GPs
The BMA’s Sessional GPs Committee and GPC England have produced new guidance and support for managing the workload and overtime for salaried GPs. GPs and practices across the country are working hard, to support the delivery of more than a million appointments every day. This toolkit builds on the BMA’s existing Safer Working Guidance which was published last year.
It is essential that we seek to retain the GPs that we have in our practice teams, and to give all GPs, irrespective of their contractual status, access to advice and support they need. We hope this guidance may encourage more open conversations where needed, around sustainable workload and demand management.
However, let us be clear: the real solution here lies with the Government, in making sure that general practice has the resources required to safely and effectively meet patient demand in the first place. Read more here
LMC England Conference 2023 – reminder to register
If you haven't already registered for the LMC England Conference to be held 23-24 November, and have not received your confirmation email please register here. Note that the deadline to register is Friday 10 November. If you have any queries please contact Karen Day on KDay@bma.org.uk
DWP Fit note guidance
The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has published new guidance for GPs and other healthcare professionals using fit notes (statements of fitness for work) and GPCE was involved in its development. Fit note - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Wellbeing resources
We continue to encourage practices to focus on their own team’s wellbeing and take time to reflect on what can be done to protect it (this will also meet the requirements of QOF quality improvement project on staff wellbeing). We have produced a document which includes some tools for improving workload and safe working. A range of wellbeing and support services are also available to doctors, from the BMA’s counselling and peer support services, NHS practitioner health service, Samaritans and Doctors in Distress. See also our poster with 10 tips to help maintain and support wellbeing.
GPC England committee pages and guidance for practices
Read more about the work of the Committee and practical guidance for GP practices
See the latest update on X (formerly Twitter) @BMA_GP and read about BMA in the media
Contact us: info.GPC@bma.org.uk
Read the last GP bulletin: Accelerated access to records update | DDRB pay uplift | new guidance for sessional GPs
First GPC England (GPCE) meeting of newly elected Officer team
Last week, I chaired the first GPC England (GPCE) meeting with your newly elected Officer team. We pledge to do all we can to deliver you - the profession we are elected to serve - a contract that feels sustainable, that brings a modicum of hope to contractors, that feels safe for GPs to work in, and brings back more trust with our patients.
Our strength lies in our independence: we are all different – as are our patients, our populations and our challenges. A one size fits all model won’t work, and repeated calls for transformation feel hollow when there is no resource to fix a leaking surgery roof, let alone build a community urgent care hub. Politically, we have a window of opportunity to positively influence and make the unarguable case for general practice. As autonomous advocates for our patients, consulting with well over a million voters every single day. We will confidently articulate what an extraordinary impact GP has on the NHS in the months ahead, and how it is the solution to so many of its problems – if we are allowed to thrive.
GPs are the remaining branch of practice not in formal dispute, for now. Ministers have a choice: an opportunity to listen and land a safe and reasonable contract for 2024/25, a year when MPs are more likely to prefer to focus on their constituency majorities than a prolonged contractual wrangle with general practice. We are ready and willing to help Ministers learn how to slow the attrition rates of GPs, so that a year from now we see green shoots of a retained and returning workforce. The choice is there for them to take.
GPC England received and passed an emergency motion calling for an investigation into the distressing mismanagement of this year’s winter Covid and Flu vaccination programmes. The widespread confusion caused continues to seriously impact upon patient safety. In August, it was announced that the programmes, which usually commence in September and aim to vaccinate as many vulnerable patients as possible ahead of winter, would be delayed until October. With practices having already planned and booked vaccine clinics many months in advance, this threatened to cause mass disruption necessitating many hundreds of thousands of appointments to be rearranged to accommodate the Government’s new timetable. BMA lobbying prompted an eventual U-turn, but this came with a caveat to deliver the majority of Covid vaccines before the end of October, lest practices face a 25% reduction in resource – despite the emergence of a new Covid variant. For practices, this may make continuing to offer the Covid vaccine through winter financially unviable without additional support. Read my statement in response, here.
Biobank
Yesterday, in a communication to practices dated 13 September requesting GPs provide Biobank UK with access to consented patient data, the BMA was listed as endorsing the programme. The chief executive of Biobank UK has written to me to apologise that this communication was issued in error. I have asked him to kindly issue a redaction, correction and clarification accordingly.
Our position remains unchanged – we appreciate the pressure many practices are under and support them, as data controllers, to take the time they feel necessary to fully consider all requests to share patient data, taking into account the need to balance these with pressing clinical priorities. This is especially pertinent given the pressures of the accelerated vaccination schedule, and the impending accelerated access to records programme.
Accelerated Access to Records Programme update
The 31 October 2023 is the date by which practices must have provided their patients with the facility to access their prospective GP record online. GPC England remains concerned about the potential risks of providing the facility to all patients irrespective of patients’ preferences. We remain in discussion with NHS England about how the programme can be rolled out safely.
We plan to issue comprehensive guidance for practices next week (w/c 2 October) outlining the steps that practices can take to prepare before 1 November. NHSE and the DHSC have assured us that commissioners will be expected to implement this programme in a supportive way.
The BMA is undertaking a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) relating to this programme and will be providing guidance for practices needing to undertake their own. A DPIA can be used by practices to assess the risks potentially posed by the new requirements, and support decisions they may wish to make about how to provide the facility in the safest possible way.
There are a number of on-line resources already available, including the RCGP toolkit.
DDRB Pay Award
We are pleased to confirm that negotiations with NHS England have satisfactorily concluded, and details will be published on Monday, together with updates to the SFE (statement of financial entitlements). We shall be writing to practices separately and communicating a press release then.
GP pressures – workforce data
The latest GP workforce data has been published showing that the number of fully qualified GPs continue to decline and in August 2023, the NHS in England had the equivalent of 27,246 fully qualified full-time GPs, 2,118 fewer than in September 2015.
The longer-term trend is that the NHS continues to lose GPs at an alarming rate: over the past year we have lost the equivalent of 269 fully qualified full-time GPs. The number of practices in England has also decreased by 110 over the past year – and as of August 2023, there was another record-high of almost 63 million patients registered in England, with another record-high average of 9,872 patients registered per practice. This is an increase of 363 patients per GP, or almost 20% since 2015, demonstrating the ever-mounting workload in general practice. Read more about GP pressures here.
Inform your PPG, and engage your local media by using our press release here.
We urge practices to continue to use our safe working guidance to limit contacts to 25 per day in order to prioritise safe patient care, within the present bounds of the GMS contract.
CNSGP indemnity guidance for general practice
In response to queries regarding the scope of CNSGP cover, please use the following link CNSGP Indemnity Scheme for General Practice. Colleagues will need additional cover from their medical defence organisations for performance issues (such as those relating to NHS England and the GMC) together with support with coroners’ queries, and matters referred to the Ombudsman.
Colleagues should also confirm that their medical defence organisation also covers them for non-NHS services delivered individually, or by their practice. Non-NHS clinical services (e.g. DVLA, local authority safeguarding etc) are not covered by CNSGP.
Best Practice Show, 11-12 October 2023, NEC Birmingham
The BMA and GPC England will be at Best Practice Show, UK’s number one event for the primary care and the general practice community, on 11-12 October 2023. We will have a dedicated theatre at the conference, with a programme focussed on the most pressing issues facing sessional GPs and GP partners, including safe working and workload management, patient access to records, the future of general practice, GP contracts and more. It is free for healthcare professionals and will provide up to 12 hours of CPD certified training, tailored to meet the training requirements of healthcare professionals. You can find more information, including the programme here and register here.
Sessional GPs Conference
Congratulation to Dr Mark Steggles and the Sessional GPs Committee on their sold-out Sessional GPs conference held last week at BMA House, where the focus was on respect, reward, retain. Attendees were given a whole host of tools and advice including how to set boundaries, considering the importance of the gender pay gap and understanding pensions as a sessional GP. There were also breakout sessions, which looked at knowing your contract, negotiation skills, working as a portfolio doctor and navigating professional regulations and complaints. The Sessional GPs Committee outlined the development of a workload toolkit that would soon be launched, together with the developments of the ‘Dr Diary’ app. Which will be shared with sessional members imminently.
Locum Pension Processes webinar
On Tuesday 3 October, 18:00-19:00, PCSE is hosting a webinar with support from NHS Pensions and the BMA to explain locum pension processes in detail including how to manage forms online. To find out more and to register for the event please visit the Eventbrite page.
UK LMC Conference - May 2024 - Save the date
The UK LMC Conference 2024 will be held on Thursday 23 and Friday 24 May 2024 in Newport, Wales. The event will be taking place at the Celtic Manor Resort. Further information will be circulated in due course, but in the meantime, please ensure that you save the date.
In the meantime, if you have any queries please email info.lmcconference@bma.org.uk.
Undergraduate GP Placement Survey
Medical Schools are currently struggling to identify adequate placement providers in general practice. University of Liverpool is running a survey which aims to identify the factors which affect a practice’s decision to host undergraduate medical students. The data will be used by medical schools to identify drivers and barriers to medical student placements in general practice, to allow tailoring placement requirements appropriately and identify strategies to help practices overcome potential barriers. If you are interested in participating, please read the Participant Information sheet and complete the online survey here (it is fully anonymous and should take no longer than 5 minutes to complete). Please contact Dr Kathryn J Harrison (docthark@liverpool.ac.uk) for any queries.
GPC England committee pages and guidance for practices
Read more about the work of the Committee and practical guidance for GP practices
See the latest update on X (formerly Twitter) @BMA_GP and read about BMA in the media
Contact us: info.GPC@bma.org.uk
COVID-19 vaccination programme
Following our update in the previous newsletter where we reported that NHS England had announced changes to the winter covid vaccination guidance, we have received some clarification that practices only administering the influenza vaccination, can claim using their normal system and CQRS. FAQs on FutureNHS state:
“Following feedback from practices, the 2023/24 seasonal flu ES specification is being updated to amend the recording requirements for synergistically delivered flu vaccinations by PCN groupings (i.e. flu only clinics run by a PCN grouping). A PCN grouping’s constituent practices will now be able to elect to record flu only vaccination events in either their GP IT clinical system or their PCN grouping’s point of care (PoC) system.
The system to be used must be agreed and adopted by all practices in the PCN grouping to reduce the burden of post payment verification work to address any duplicate recordings and payments.
The position with regards to the following has not changed:
Meeting with primary care Minister
Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer, GPC England chair, had catch up with Neil O’Brien, primary care minister, where they discussed a range of issues including cutting bureaucracy, improving GP retention, access to patient records and supporting practice staff health and wellbeing. She will continue to meet with the minister over the coming weeks to build on these initial discussions.
Accelerated Access to Records Programme update
Last week, GPC wrote to parliamentary under-secretary of state for health and social care, Neil O’Brien MP outlining the concerns expressed to us by GPs ahead of the upcoming switch-on of the government Accelerated Access to Records programme. As part of our efforts to engage with government and support members, we will be producing guidance for GPs in the coming weeks and updating members as and when we meet with government to discuss this issue. GPC will be in a position to provide a much more substantive update in the next bulletin and will communicate the specific support we will be providing in the coming weeks.
We urge practices to continue to use our safe working guidance to limit contacts to 25 per day in order to prioritise safe patient care, within the present bounds of the GMS contract.
RAAC in GP Premises
In January 2023 NHS England wrote to practices identifying the potential risk of RAAC (Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete) in GP premises and advising that survey work be carried out. As set out in the Premises Cost Directions, practices have an obligation to ensure safety and the development of continuity planning in terms of addressing disruption to the delivery of primary care at practice premises. Clearly this can be a big additional cost at a difficult time. GPC have called on Government to provide central funding to support practices where RAAC is found to be present.
Last week Dr Gaurav Gupta, GPC premises lead, was quoted in GP Online: “It’s important to remember that general practice premises are already in poor shape due to a chronic lack of investment and planning from the government. Ultimately issues with RAAC have the potential to completely destabilise general practice if GP premises are found to be at risk, regardless of ownership. Therefore, the government must find a solution which means patients can continue to be treated in buildings which are fit for purpose and it provides a fully centrally-funded solution to the RAAC issue which covers all NHS buildings, including all general practice estate.”
2023/24 DDRB recommended pay rise for salaried practice staff
Further to the DHSC announcement some weeks back that all salaried general practice staff would receive a 6% uplift to their pay, back dated to April this year, GPCE and the Sessional GPs Committee recognise this is a matter that has the potential to create challenges between partners and salaried GPs. The BMA values both groups of colleagues and GPCE and the Sessional GPs Committee are working jointly to try and ensure collaborative communications to the profession as negotiations around this issue are completed, which is likely by the end of September.
Both Committees’ Executive officers recognise that for salaried GP colleagues whose contractual terms include a yearly salary uplift linked to annual DDRB pay award should receive that uplift each year. Salaried GPs employed on the BMA Model Contract should have such a clause, and an uplift date in terms of when this is applied, although the default would be 1st April.
There are other salaried GP colleagues whose contract may not specifically reference the DDRB Award in terms of a salary uplift, but the BMA believes all salaried colleagues should receive a 6% salary uplift unless another uplift is specifically referenced within their contracts. The BMA is aware some GP practices have already given at least an interim uplift based on the already known 2023/24 2.1% GMS (genera medical services) Global Sum uplift for practice expenses.
The 2023/24 supplementary uplift above the pre-agreed Global Sum increase – determined when the existing 2019-24 five-year GMS contract investment framework was agreed – currently being negotiated with DHSC and NHSE is also expected to include other GP practice staff. This excludes ARRS staff; their annual Agenda for Change terms pay uplift (5%) was negotiated by the NHS Staff Council and will be applied to the maximum reimbursements rates primary care networks/practices can claim back for those staffing costs. Having surveyed the profession earlier this year, we are acutely conscious of the multiple inflationary pressures facing GP practices, in terms of their costs, which are not within the scope of any offer from the DHSC and NHSE.
So far in 2023/24, GP practices have only received the Global Sum uplift agreed within what is the final year of the 2019-24 five-year contract investment framework (2.1%). Any additional staff salary cost pressures are currently unfunded, and the BMA believes both partners and sessional colleagues will be aware of this. In terms of a supplementary uplift to Global Sum, GPCE hopes negotiations with DHSC and NHSE, which will provide a partial funding solution to increased salary costs, will be concluded by the end of September and such payments made to practices promptly thereafter.
Hopefully this gives further helpful background to this issue and also reassurance that both GPC England and the Sessional GPs Committee are working closely together to support all GPs regardless of their contractual status.
Inclisiran
NHS England recently sent a briefing note to practices on “the role of Inclisiran in lipid management”. There are still widespread concerns with the manner and speed with which NHS England have attempted to push a black triangle injectable into usage and there are still a number of questions, raised by both GPCE and the RCGP, on which NHS England has yet to provide a satisfactory response, as set out in our joint position statement with the RCGP.
With this in mind, we would like to remind practices that the prescription or administration of Inclisiran is not part of the GMS/PMS contract (although in negotiation with the LMC it may be commissioned via a LES). The onus lies with Commissioners to commission an appropriately funded service if they wish patients to have access to this drug, either within General Practice or via Specialist services.
Eco Flex Forms
GPs may be asked to complete an ECO4 Flex form, when a local authority has referred a patient that it considers to be living in fuel poverty or on a low income and vulnerable to the effects of living in a cold home. The form asks the GP to consider the patient’s medical health conditions and then recommend one of two routes; households identified as vulnerable to the cold or an individual suffering from severe or long-term ill health. This work is not covered within the core GMS contract and completing the form will require GPs to undertake a proper review of the patient’s notes. As such they are entitled to charge, as it is not a prescribed form under Sch. 2 of the GMS regulations.
Completing DVLA medical forms
Following an LMC query, colleagues should note that completing DVLA medical forms is not within the scope of the CNSGP medical negligence scheme in relation to any complaints or concerns that may arise from this work. This is private work, for which a fee is changeable, and colleagues should check with their Indemnity Organisation that they are covered separately for this work under their own or a practice-based policy
NHS England GP Access campaign
NHS England is launching a public facing GP Access awareness campaign this week, in response to rising appointment numbers, falling GP numbers and falling satisfaction with GP access in the context of initial contact with a GP to book an appointment. It is part of the wider NHSE campaign ‘Help us to help you’ which focuses on raising public awareness of how the NHS system operates. This covers issues such as prevention and access to GPs, and links to the GP recovery plan emphasising helping patients to understand how the system works to support them. This part of the campaign are looking at effective care navigation and awareness of GP multidisciplinary teams.
European definition of General Practice
The WONCA Europe Council has updated their Definition of General Practice/Family Medicine. The 2023 revision focuses on important challenges for GPs related to One Health (an integrated approach to optimise the health of people, animals and the environment), Planetary Health and Sustainable Development Goals. The statement defines the discipline of general practice / family medicine, the professional tasks of the family doctor and describes the core competencies required of GPs. It outlines what family doctors in Europe should be providing in the way of services to patients, so that patient care is of highest quality and cost effective. Read the statement
Best Practice Show, 11-12 October 2023, NEC Birmingham
The BMA and GPC England will be at Best Practice Show, UK’s number one event for the primary care and general practice community, on 11-12 October 2023. We will have a dedicated theatre at the conference, with a programme focussed on the most pressing issues facing sessional GPs and GP partners including safe working and workload management, patient access to records, the future of general practice, GP contracts and more. It is free for healthcare professionals, and will provide up to 12 hours of CPD certified training, tailored to meet the training requirements of healthcare professionals. You can find more information, including the programme here and register here.
LMC Secretaries Conference 2024
Please save the date for the LMC Secretaries Conference which will take place on Friday 15 March 2024, at BMA House, London. Further details to follow soon. If you require any further assistance, please contact us on: info.lmcconference@bma.org.uk
Free BMA membership for International Doctors
Recognising the vital contribution that international colleagues make to our health service and the unique challenges international doctors face when starting a new career in the UK, the BMA will be offering free BMA membership to international doctors for their first year in the UK. The second year will be at a favourable rate of just £10.08 per month (first year post qualified, rate), and their third year £20.00 per month (second year post qualified, rate). This new membership can be selected via the online join form, under 'IMG new to the UK' as a drop-down option in the concessions section.
Please share this information to any IMG GP trainees in your practice or via the LMC.
NHS England local clinical excellence awards scheme for SAGPs
The BMA’s Medical Academic Staff Committee (MASC) has been informed that NHSE has agreed to a local clinical excellence awards scheme for consultants and senior academic GPs (SAGPs). One of the qualifying criteria is ‘working a minimum of 3 PAs/sessions per week for NHSE’, and we are aware that NHSE has written to some SAGPs, saying that they have been identified as a person who is working less than 3 PAs per week for NHSE. However, as the 3 PAs can include teaching and research contributing to the NHS, we believe that most SAGPs should be eligible. MASC would therefore advise any SAGPs to email NHS England (england.medicalcea@nhs.net) as soon as possible to declare your eligibility. The deadline for full submission this year is 3 October.
Wellbeing resources
We continue to encourage practices to focus on their own team’s wellbeing and take time to reflect on what can be done to protect it (this will also meet the requirements of QOF quality improvement project on staff wellbeing). We have produced a document which includes some tools for improving workload and safe working. A range of wellbeing and support services are also available to doctors, from the BMA’s counselling and peer support services, NHS practitioner health service, Samaritans and Doctors in Distress. See also our poster with 10 tips to help maintain and support wellbeing.
GPC England committee pages and guidance for practices
Read more about the work of the Committee
Read practical guidance for GP practices
See the latest update on Twitter: @BMA_GP / Twitter @TheBMA / Twitter
Read about BMA in the media: BMA media centre | British Medical Association
Contact us: info.GPC@bma.org.uk
Read the last GP bulletin: COVID-19 vaccination update | accelerated access to records programme | RAAC in GP premises
COVID vaccination programme update
NHS England has announced new changes to the previously published winter covid vaccination guidance, as part of an ‘accelerated programme’. Following the earlier notification of a reduction to covid fee payments, there will now be time limited ‘accelerated payments’ offered to bring forward the covid vaccination programme to 11 September for completion by the end of October (this relates to the enhanced fees and vaccination can continue after 31 October, but at the reduced IoS fee of £7.54). NHSE guidance states:
‘Vaccine providers will receive an additional payment of £10 (in addition to the Item of Service (IoS) fee) for each COVID-19 vaccination administered to care home residents between Monday 11 September and Sunday 22 October 2023 inclusive; and a separate one-off additional payment of £200 for each Completed Care Home by the end of the day on Sunday 22 October.
For other eligible groups, vaccine providers will receive an additional £5 acceleration payment (in addition to the IoS fee) will be made available for each COVID-19 vaccination administered to eligible people between 11 September and 31 October 2023’.
In line with previous BMA guidance, we continue to advise practices to consider and assure themselves of the financial viability of participating in the COVID vaccination programme under these shortened time frames.
Practices will now have until 5pm on 4 September if they do wish to sign up for the programme.
Read my statement in response.
Accelerated Access to Records Programme update
GPC England continues to support patients taking a proactive role in the management of their own health. This could be facilitated through access to a patient’s own electronic health records.
Following the imposition of the 2023/24 GMS contract, the Accelerated Access to Records Programme is currently scheduled to go live for all patients on 1 November 2023. From that date, patients in England will be given prospective access to information entered into their GP record.
However, GPC England believe there are patient safety and information governance concerns that remain outstanding, and which need to be addressed. For this programme to be successful and fulfil its potential we believe it should not be rolled out in a ‘big bang’ style on 1 November. Practices need to be given the appropriate time and resources to safely plan this in each practice across England, and we continue to press for this as well as further modifications.
Rollout dates
We are aware that EMIS have shared training dates to facilitate their ‘bulk upload’ and they are encouraging EMIS practices to use the new functionality which has been paid for by NHS England. Earlier this year, many practices wrote to system suppliers to turn this functionality off.
We will publish comprehensive advice and guidance for all practices and will continue to set out concerns and solutions to Government ministers. We will also be engaging with EMIS and TPP to ascertain how they can best support GPs with respect to bulk uploads in the lead up to and after the proposed switch on date.
We would therefore reassure practices that they have time to consider matters, and contractors do not need to make any quick decisions before our guidance has been published.
GP pressures
GP practices in England are experiencing significant and growing strain with declining GP numbers, rising demand, struggles to recruit and retain staff and knock-on effects for patients.
The latest GP workforce data showed that the number of fully qualified GPs has dropped since September 2015. In July 2023, the NHS in England had the equivalent of 27,177 fully qualified full-time GPs, which is 2,187 fewer than in September 2015.
The longer-term trend shows that the NHS is losing GPs at an alarming rate: over the past year (between July 2022 and July 2023) it lost the equivalent of 330 fully qualified full-time GPs and the equivalent of 358 full-time partners. This means that, on average, the NHS lost 28 fully qualified FTE GPs per month over the past year.
The number of GP practices in England has decreased by 102 over the past year – reflecting a long-term trend of closures as well as mergers primarily due to a lack of workforce. This coincides with a rise in patients. As of July 2023, there was another average of 9,834 patients registered per practice, and as a result, the average number of patients each full-time equivalent GP is responsible for continues to rise, and now stands at 2,305. This is an increase of 367 patients per GP, or 19%, since 2015, demonstrating the ever-mounting workload in general practice. Read more about the pressures in general practice here
Wes Streeting proposal to pay GPs more to allow patients to see the doctor of their choice
Responding to shadow health secretary Wes Streeting’s proposal to pay GPs more to allow patients to see the doctor of their choice, Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer, chair of GPC England, said:
“Mr Streeting was correct to say fewer patients were now able to see a doctor of their choice, but
argued it was vital to see this in the context of 2,200 full-time GP posts being lost since 2015.
Combine this workforce exodus where GPs at breaking point are retraining, taking on other roles or leaving entirely with millions of patients on NHS waiting lists and we have the perfect storm.
Every GP strives to deliver the best care to our patients in the most appropriate way we can based on patient choice, but the reality of the chronic workforce shortage makes this an impossible ask against the backdrop of increasing demand from a growing – and ageing – population.”
Every day over a million appointments are delivered across England, way more than even before the Pandemic - with less staff. GPs regularly see more patients than our safe working guidance recommends. And yet, we still cannot keep pace with demand.
We urge practices to continue to use our safe working guidance to limit contacts to 25 per day in order to prioritise safe patient care, within the present bounds of the GMS contract.
Junior doctor re-ballot results
The results of the junior doctor re-ballot are now in and we are pleased to confirm that their mandate for strike action has been extended for a further six months. Junior doctors are not prepared to let 15 years of real-terms pay cuts stand. Now with this renewed mandate, junior doctors, including GP trainees, and consultants will take joint action for the first time. The key dates are 19 – 22 September and 2 – 4 October and you can find full details on the BMA website.
England Conference of LMCs
A reminder that the England Conference of LMCs is due to take place on Thursday 23 and Friday 24 November 2023. The deadline for submitting motions is Wednesday 13 September at 12 noon and the deadline for registering to attend the conference is Friday 10 November. Please be advised that this is a registered event and only those LMCs registered will be permitted to attend the conference, no exceptions will be made.
Best Practice Show, 11-12 October 2023, NEC Birmingham
This year the BMA and GPC England will be at Best Practice Show, UK’s number one event for the primary care and general practice community, at the NEC Birmingham on 11-12 October 2023.
GPC England will have a dedicated theatre at the conference, with a programme focussed on the most pressing issues facing sessional GPs and GP partners including safe working and workload management, patient access to records, the future of general practice, GP contracts and more.
Free for healthcare professionals, the conference programme will provide up to 12 hours of CPD certified training, expertly tailored to meet the training requirements of healthcare professionals.
If you are interested in attending, you can register here.
Preparing for balloting on industrial action
We need to come together to save general practice, defend our profession, and make general practice safe for patients. In April, GPC England voted to prepare to ballot GPs on industrial action if the Government does not agree to improve the contract drastically in forthcoming negotiations.
If you are a member, make sure the details we hold for you are up to date to ensure your vote counts. Update your member details on www.bma.org.uk/my-bma or join us as a member today.
Wellbeing resources
As we continue to face overwhelming pressures in general practice, we encourage practices to continue to focus on their own team’s wellbeing and take time to meet to reflect on their wellbeing and what they can do to protect it. This will meet the requirements of the QOF targets in the GP contract to do your quality improvement project on staff wellbeing. We have produced a document which includes some tangible recommendations and tools for improving workload and safe working.
A range of wellbeing and support services are available to doctors, from our 24/7 counselling and peer support services, NHS practitioner health service and Samaritans. The organisation Doctors in Distress also provides mental health support for health workers in the UK, providing confidential peer support group sessions. See our poster with 10 tips to help maintain and support wellbeing.
Please visit the BMA’s wellbeing support services page for more information and resources.
GPC England committee pages and guidance for practices
Read more about the work of the Committee
Read practical guidance for GP practices
See the latest update on Twitter: @BMA_GP / Twitter @TheBMA / Twitter
Read about BMA in the media: BMA media centre | British Medical Association
Contact us: info.GPC@bma.org.uk
Read the last GPCE bulletin
Read the latest Sessional GPs newsletter
1. The 6% DDRB uplift
Government has said they will fund (details not yet confirmed, but noises from DHSC make me think we should expect it to come our way next week). We suspect that they will be keen to fund this via the Global Sum, which may attract an uplift intended to cover an increase in staff salaries of 6%, but that is not the same as a full contract uplift of 6%.
Your GPCE officer team struggle to see how a capitation-based contract could be uplifted to reflect expenses which will be individual to each practice. List size is a very approximate proxy for employed staff numbers. Employer on-costs also need to be factored in, recurrence in future years, and if this is in addition to, or inclusive of the 2.1% Global Sum uplift for expenses which has already been received.
Contractual uplifts should apply to salaried GPs on the BMA model contract, (which should specifically reference an annual uplift linked to the DDRB award). Some practices will have already provided staff with an interim pay uplift from April 2023. Many practices may use DDRB as a benchmark.
2. The 5% uplift to ARRS staff on AfC contracts
Note: this uplift is not funded *additionally*. Whilst the overall ARRS funding envelope/allocation has gone up in 2023/24, this has not been increased to such a degree that would reflect 5% for those staff on AfC contracts (which is not everyone).
There is a risk that GPs, PMs, and PCN managers may erroneously believe that this is funded with 'extra money'. As per previous years, it was set out in the PCN DES guidance (2023/24 paragraph 13):
13.Following the publication of the previous version of this guidance in May, changes to the maximum reimbursable rates have now been set out in the PCN DES Specification for the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS), as a result of the AfC pay award. As in previous years, the overall PCN entitlements and maximum ICB funding available for 2023/24 will remain the same for the year, as they are already set and underpin the fiveyear contract in place.
Parliamentary activity
Last week I wrote to the Prime Minister and Health Secretary, raising our key concerns and calling for an urgent meeting to discuss the future of general practice.
I wrote to the Minister responsible for vaccines, and the primary care Minister, calling on them to ensure that the flu vaccine programme goes ahead in September as planned. I called for joint working with NHSE to address the announced cut in funding for the delivery of COVID-19 immunisations, which may unfortunately prevent GPs and practices from being able to continue to offer these crucial vaccines.
23/24 pay award guidance
The Government has announced its response to the DDRB recommendations for doctors’ pay in England outlining a 6% uplift s for salaried GPs and all practice (non-ARRS) staff in England.
Due to GP Contractors being in the fifth and final year of a multiyear agreement, there was no recommendation made by the DDRB in relation to GP partners.
GPC England continues to liaise with NHSE and DHSC to establish specific details about how the DDRB 6% uplift will be calculated and funded to practices. As soon as we receive further information, we will share it with practices.
Until then, we advise practices to explain that the money is not yet in their accounts, but that we are in discussions with government to clarify how the funding will be passed to practices to support this.
Cancer referrals
Responding to comments by the Health Secretary in the Telegraph that patients could ‘skip’ seeing a GP to speed up cancer checks, I said:
“Any patient who has suspicious symptoms of a potential cancer diagnosis must get the treatment they need, as soon as possible. It might sound like a seductively simple plan to bypass the GP and go for a diagnostic test, but as a GP, my priority when triaging appointment requests in surgery is to look for these 'red flags' and bring the patient in as soon as possible, usually the same day. Like with the rest of the overwhelmed NHS, triage is essential - and GPs are expert generalists who have trained for years to know when a patient needs to be referred for cancer or if it could be something else.
This suggestion might sound like a good idea, but it will rapidly overwhelm radiology departments, and lead to even longer waiting lists for scans, and potential missed diagnoses - putting yet more pressure on the NHS.
I'm also worried that the Health Secretary hasn’t detailed where these diagnostic centres will be, and who will staff them. There is only one workforce, and we can’t magic up additional radiographers or radiologists out of thin air, just like we can’t magic up GPs; we have lost more than 2,000 full-time, fully-qualified GPs since 2015 and the way things are, this will only get worse.
The priority for such an overwhelmed NHS has to be safety. And GPs are integral to safe cancer referral processes – removing us from the equation risks patients falling through the net and those without cancer being put on the pathway by mistake, or missed altogether. It's a no-brainer that waiting lists need to be tackled, and I look forward to meeting the Health Secretary to explain how we might be able to help shape his ideas in a way that will help keep patients safe.”
Re-ballot for junior doctors strike action open for eligible GP trainees
GP trainees are eligible to vote in the re-ballot for junior doctor strike action which is OPEN NOW. The last safe date to post ballots back is 26 August, so post your ballot back today and speak to your GP trainee colleagues to remind them too. If you have GP trainee colleagues who aren’t members, encourage them to join the BMA this week: junior doctors who join by 20 August will still receive a ballot and pay no membership fees for 3 months.
If you are eligible but haven’t received a ballot, check your details and request a replacement ballot today. Time is running out to correct any issues in and to send replacement ballots before the re-ballot closes. Please ensure that this is done as soon as possible, so that your vote counts.
If you’re CCTing and starting a GP post before 31 August or will be away from work from 31 August to 29 February, let us know so we can exclude you from the ballot. This is important even if you’ve already received a ballot or sent one back. If you are, or expect to be, a junior doctor for even one day of the mandate period (31 August 2023 to 29 February 2024), including if you will be in your period of grace, you are eligible to vote.
Reminder: For recently CCTed GP trainees to check that they get their back pay
If you have recently completed your CCT as a GP trainee from a training programme in England, then you are likely to be owed backdated day. Junior doctors, including GP trainees, will be receive a 6% pay rise, plus a consolidated bonus of £1,250 to be added to their salary. The updated pay scales have been published in the recent pay circular by NHS Employers. Junior doctors’ salaries should be uplifted in the September pay round, with this being additionally backdated to April 2023.
For those who have completed their CCT, your previous Trust should keep the bank details that you provided on file for at least three months after you have finished your time with them. You should make sure that the Trust who was your employer has correct and up-to-date details. This will ensure you can receive the backdated payment. After the September pay date for your previous employer has passed, you should check that you have received the correct backpay. If you have not, please contact us or your previous employer directly.
GPAS (General Practice Alert State) reporting
All LMCs who are fully operational are encouraged to please ensure GPAS data for their LMC is submitted to Devon LMC (Bob.Fancy@devonlmc.co.uk and Hannah.Baxter@devonlmc.co.uk) by 16:00 on a Thursday each week to ensure the pressures in General Practice are accurately reflected in the national report for their area.
GPDF are refunding LMCs the cost of adopting GPAS but this funding will stop at the end of 2023; any LMC who is yet to adopt GPAS and wants to do so can register their interest before the end of September 2023 here) After this point, the cost of deployment will need to be covered by the LMC.
Data collected by LMCs across the country through GPAS will be handed over to the GPC from later this year to support national negotiators in talks over supporting practices in the current GP crises and beyond. The attached PDF is an example for how the data LMCs provide will be used to input into the weekly GPAS situational reports.
Relaunch of Return to Practice Programme
NHS England have relaunched the GP Return to Practice (RtP) Programme, implementing recommendations from the NHS England/HEE review of the programme that was completed earlier this year alongside the BMA and RCGP. It introduces the following improvements to the programme:
• A more flexible and streamlined programme offering personalised pathways built around the individual needs of each GP
• A less confusing programme for GPs with the closure of the multiple schemes that currently sit under the programme
• A move away from a “one size fits all” and the expectation that all domestic returners must undertake assessments and placements, particularly those GPs with breaks of less than 5 years
• Widening eligibility for the RCGP managed Portfolio Route to include some domestic returners that have been working in other clinical fields
• Offering mentorship to returning GPs either as additional support or instead of assessments/placements
• The option for GPs to access support to return under a defined scope of practice
• The option for returning GPs to undertake the programme whilst employed providing access to employment rights such as sick pay and annual leave for the first time
• Increased financial support with the monthly bursary for GPs rising to £4000 per month backdated to 1 April 2023
• A move to a self-declaration process for occupational health meaning that the majority of returners will no longer be required to arrange an occupational health check
• A reduction in bureaucracy and paperwork and a new online application system
Full details of the programme can be found here on the Health Education England website.
England Conference of LMCs
A reminder that the England Conference of LMCs is due to take place on Thursday 23 and Friday 24 November 2023. The deadline for submitting motions is Wednesday 13 September at 12 noon and the deadline for registering to attend the conference is Friday 10 November. Please be advised that this is a registered event and only those LMCs registered will be permitted to attend the conference, no exceptions will be made.
Election for Chair of LMC UK Conference
Members of the 2023 LMC UK Conference have been contacted to inform them that we are holding an election for the Chair of LMC UK Conference. The reason for this election is set out below. Only those individuals who have been contacted directly are eligible to stand and vote in this election.
This election is being held as a result of I have demitted my role as LMC UK Conference Chair, following my election to be chair of the BMA’s GPC England Committee. The election will be held in the following manner:
• Nominations will close at 2pm on Friday, 18 August 2023.
• Voting will open at 2pm on Monday, 21 August and close at 2pm on Tuesday, 29th August 2023.
• The electorate will be the members of 2023 LMC UK Conference.
When the outcome of the election is known, an update will be shared with LMCs.
If you have any questions regarding this election, please contact the elections team elections@bma.org.uk
Safe working in general practice
We urge practices to continue to use our safe working guidance to limit contacts to 25 per day in order to prioritise safe patient care, within the present bounds of the GMS contract.
Preparing for balloting on industrial action
We need to come together to save general practice, defend our profession, and make general practice safe for patients. In April, GPC England voted to prepare to ballot GPs on industrial action if the Government does not agree to improve the contract drastically in forthcoming negotiations.
If you are a member, make sure the details we hold for you are up to date to ensure your vote counts. Update your member details on www.bma.org.uk/my-bma or join us as a member today.
Wellbeing resources
As we continue to face overwhelming pressures in general practice, we encourage practices to continue to focus on their own team’s wellbeing and take time to meet to reflect on their wellbeing and what they can do to protect it. This will meet the requirements of the QOF targets in the GP contract to do your quality improvement project on staff wellbeing. We have produced a document which includes some tangible recommendations and tools for improving workload and safe working.
A range of wellbeing and support services are available to doctors, from our 24/7 counselling and peer support services, NHS practitioner health service and Samaritans. The organisation Doctors in Distress also provides mental health support for health workers in the UK, providing confidential peer support group sessions. See our poster with 10 tips to help maintain and support wellbeing.
Please visit the BMA’s wellbeing support services page for more information and resources.
GPC England committee pages and guidance for practices
Read more about the work of the Committee
Read practical guidance for GP practices
See the latest update on Twitter: @BMA_GP / Twitter @TheBMA / Twitter
Follow Katie on Twitter: @doctor_katie
Read about BMA in the media: BMA media centre | British Medical Association
Contact us: info.GPC@bma.org.uk
Read the last GPCE bulletin: Flu and COVID vaccination programmes | 23/24 pay award guidance | cancer referrals
GPC England advice re: influenza and covid vaccination programmes
We published our guidance to the profession yesterday: https://bma-mail.org.uk/t/7IPW-3VKS-C25CB593470824F7T7YAP65BF80F04674DDE9/cr.aspx
In a nutshell the contract wording of the enhanced service specification states clearly that the flu campaign commences on 1st September 2023. So practices should continue to fill their already scheduled flu clinics for next month, and deliver them as originally planned.
Later that afternoon, NHSE published its response, and I am glad to say that it is helpful. See: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/autumn-winter-aw-2023-24-flu-and-covid-19-seasonal-campaign/
This makes clear that all NHSE can do is “ask” practices to defer their flu clinics – and practices may politely decline to do this – it may not be in their patients’ best interests, and it may also cause instability and inefficiency in practices’ delivery of care. Further clarification which is welcome, is that ‘Flu vaccines that are delivered in September will be honoured with the routine immunisation tariff payment of £10.06.
On the subject of the reduced Covid vaccination tariff of £7.54, I have written to Maria Caulfield MP, the minister for vaccinations and immunisations, as well as Neil O’Brien MP, minister for primary care. Ministers have a choice – the Covid environment has changed in the past week with a much greater appreciation of the infectiousness of the new Eris variant which stands to potentially adversely impact acute admission rates, and thus also the elective recovery programme and waiting lists in addition to our own workload. When the facts change, our opinions may also change – the DHSC has a window of opportunity to revert to the original commissioned plan which the JCVI felt was cost effective, prior to the cut of over 25% resource.
From our perspective, the BMA advises upon its own assessment that this regrettably makes the delivery of the COVID vaccination programme financially unviable for practices and PCNs. We therefore strongly urge you to consider the viability of participation in the COVID-19 vaccination programme.
GPC England officer team elections
Members of GPCE (GPs committee England) voted me in as chair on 3 August, as well as three deputies: Dr David Wrigley, Dr Julius Parker and Dr Samira Anane.
I am very grateful to GPCE for its support and pay tribute to the outgoing team for their commitment and hard work. As the committee begins a new chapter, our focus and greatest challenge is to safeguard the very survival of our profession.
I have written to Rishi Sunak and Steve Barclay to ask to meet with them to discuss how we can better redistribute investment into the core GP contract, because any other proposal stands to leave our nation’s health and finances much worse off.
I look forward to setting out our vision, strategy and plan this autumn: to restore trust in the patient-doctor relationship; champion GPs' unique role as independent health advocates for our patients and focus on continuity of care – all three improve and lengthen patients’ lives, and sustain our own professional wellbeing too. Read the full press statement
Sessional GPs committee officer and executive elections
Following the recent officer and exec elections for the Sessional GPs committee, we are pleased to announce the results:
Read the statement from the new chair
Sessional GPs Conference
The Sessional GP Conference will take place on Friday 22 September at BMA House, between 10-5pm which is open to members and non-members across the UK. This one-day event that will give you information and updates on key issues including pensions, tools to help you manage your workload and suggestions to help you set and maintain professional boundaries. A copy of the agenda can be found here.
To register to attend please click here.
Please share this with any sessional colleagues who may be interested.
LMC England rep to GPC England
Members of the 2022 LMC England Conference have been contacted today to be made aware that we are holding an election for a representative from LMC England Conference to GPC England. Only those individuals who have been contacted directly are eligible to stand and vote in this election.
This election is being held as the standing orders of GPC England state that no committee member can hold two seats on the committee. The current Chair of LMC England Conference, Dr Shaba Nabi, was elected to the Avon & Gloucester regional seat on GPC England for the term of 2023 to 2026. The LMC England Conference Chair has an ex-officio seat on GPC England. The term for this seat is until November 2023, when a new chair of LMC England Conference will be elected. Dr Shaba Nabi cannot hold both the regional seat and the ex-officio seat for LMC England Conference Chair. As a result, we are holding this election for a representative of LMC England Conference to have a seat on GPC England until LMC England Conference elects a new Chair in November 2023.
Following input and guidance from the BMA’s Organisation Committee the election will be held in the following manner:
This election is to act as a representative of LMC England conference on GPC England, it is not an election for the LMC England Conference Chair role.
If you have any questions regarding this election, the elections team (elections@bma.org.uk).
DHSC delays permanent introduction of primary care doctors
Plans to permanently introduce flexibilities to allow many non-GPs to deliver primary care services without being on the Medical Performers List in England have been delayed by DHSC, following a consultation exercise which saw significant opposition by the BMA and others. DHSC still intends to press ahead with its plans at a future date, but acknowledged further details need to be worked through in discussions with stakeholders. The BMA will continue to oppose the proposals in line with its published position statement. Separate amendments to the regulations will come into force on 18th September, including changes to inclusion on the list, a streamlined process for returners, and changes to a wide range of specific processes and requirements. The revised regulations can be found here, with new NHS England guidance expected in advance of commencement.
NHS Long Term Workforce Plan Summary
On 30 June 2023, NHS England published the long-awaited NHS Long Term Workforce Plan for England. It was written by NHS England, but commissioned and accepted by the Government. The BMA has produced this briefing for members to provide a summary and analysis of the plan’s key announcements, and what they may mean for doctors.
GP Patient Survey 2023
On 13 July 2023, the results of the GP patient survey 2023 were released. Dr Richard Van Mellaerts, GPC England outgoing deputy chair, responded to the results stating the “These findings are - despite the huge pressures practices are under – testament to the hard work, professionalism and dedication of GPs and their teams” and “This survey is proof positive that the problems in general practice today lie squarely on the shoulders of a Government that refuses to invest properly in the health service and not on GPs or practice staff who are going above and beyond to ensure patients are getting the care they deserve.” You can read the full statement here.
Health and Social Care Committee recommendations
The Government has responded to the Health and Social Care Committee’s report recommendationsfrom its inquiry into general practice. While we support the Government’s rejection of the committee’s proposals to implement a list system across general practice, we are disappointed that other recommendations made by the committee to improve the support offered to practices were rejected, or only partially accepted, by the Government.
Changes to the NHS pension from April 2023 – Do they affect GP Federations?
Following a recent LMC query and follow up by the GPCE, NHS England’s central GP contract team have now responded as follows:
For any staff to have NHS pension scheme access their employer has always needed, and still needs, to hold a qualifying contract. In primary medical services that means a GMS, PMS or APMS contract, or (since April 2023) a standard subcontract for services provided under the Network Contract DES.
Further to sustained GPCE officer lobbying last year, NHSE issued a subcontract in August 2022. That confirms that subcontractors can access the pension scheme too, and it includes instructions. Should you have any further queries, please email info.gpc@bma.org.uk.
Partial retirement
Following the Government’s consultation on retirement flexibilities earlier this year, partial retirement will be implemented from October 2023. The BMA fought back on the requirement of a 10% reduction in pensionable pay to be eligible, but Government have not budged on this. This adds unnecessary complexity and the BMA have already been made aware of there being inconsistent advice being given by NHS BSA and NHS Trusts on this.
We have queried the practical application of partial retirement for GPs with NHS BSA and they have replied: In respect of GPs and partial retirement, they must drop their commitment by at least 10% to meet the requirements. If they are a partner (type 1 GP) in a practice this can be achieved by adjusting their partnership share ratio, or for a single-handed GP they may take on a partner. As alluded to, this may be easier for a salaried GP (type 2 GP) as they just need to demonstrate a drop in their commitment, for example the number of appointments they do. For a salaried GP this could be reflected in a change in their contract with the practice. It is a little harder for Locums to demonstrate the 10% drop in commitment as they can choose whether to pension their GP Locum work and are effectively as and when. However, if they are able to demonstrate this then it may be possible for them to meet the requirements for partial retirement.
Further information on partial retirement can be found on the NHS BSA website and they have also published an employer fact sheet and slide deckfrom a recent event held with pension administrators. We are however still awaiting further NHS Employers guidance to be published, so we can better understand exactly how partial retirement will be administered and provide the best advice to our members.
Access to healthcare for people seeking asylum in initial and contingency accommodation toolkit
The toolkit highlights key recommendations for ICBs, primary care commissioners and providers in supporting access to initial health assessment and ongoing primary care services for people seeking asylum residing in Home Office initial and contingency accommodation. It also provides links to useful resources, including a patient health questionnaire for people seeking asylum, translated resources on navigating the NHS and information on supporting GP practices to become Safe Surgeries to minimise barriers to accessing primary care and GP registration. There is a checklist for ICBs and GP practices, as well as case studies highlighting good practice from services meeting the needs of asylum seekers in England.
The resource is divided into three main themes:
Safe working in general practice
We urge practices to continue to use our safe working guidance to limit contacts to 25 per day in order to prioritise safe patient care, within the present bounds of the GMS contract.
Preparing for balloting on industrial action
We need to come together to save general practice, defend our profession, and make general practice safe for patients. In April, GPC England voted to prepare to ballot GPs on industrial action if the Government does not agree to improve the contract drastically in forthcoming negotiations.
If you are a member, make sure the details we hold for you are up to date to ensure your vote counts. Update your member details on www.bma.org.uk/my-bma or join us as a member today.
Wellbeing resources
As we continue to face overwhelming pressures in general practice, we encourage practices to continue to focus on their own team’s wellbeing and take time to meet to reflect on their wellbeing and what they can do to protect it. This will meet the requirements of the QOF targets in the GP contract to do your quality improvement project on staff wellbeing. We have produced a documentwhich includes some tangible recommendations and tools for improving workload and safe working.
A range of wellbeing and support services are available to doctors, from our 24/7 counselling and peer support services, NHS practitioner health service and Samaritans. The organisation Doctors in Distress also provides mental health support for health workers in the UK, providing confidential peer support group sessions. See our poster with 10 tips to help maintain and support wellbeing.
Please visit the BMA’s wellbeing support services page for more information and resources.
GPC England committee pages and guidance for practices
Read more about the work of the Committee
Read practical guidance for GP practices
See the latest update on Twitter: @BMA_GP / Twitter @TheBMA / Twitter
Follow Katie on Twitter: @doctor_katie
Read about BMA in the media: BMA media centre | British Medical Association
Contact us: info.GPC@bma.org.uk
Read the last bulletin: New GPCE officer team | safe working in general practice | prepare for balloting on industrial action (bma-mail.org.uk)
Update from GPC England meeting
GPC England met today where the committee passed a vote of no confidence in its elected chair, Dr Farah Jameel, as a means of electing a new chair.
The vote was part of a motion proposed by committee member Dr Rachel Ali and seconded by several colleagues.
As deputy chair I became acting chair of the committee in 2022 when Farah went on maternity leave.
Nominations for the next chair and deputy chairs of GPC England will open noon Monday 24 July, and the acting chair and deputies will remain in post until a new chair and deputies have been elected. Note that one of the seats for deputy chair will be open to a non-GPC member who is a BMA GP member practising in England.
Read the BMA statement here
Call to action and safe working in general practice
GPC England has recently published Call to action (CTA) for general practice - our strategy outlining what we need to provide high-quality, safe care for our patients and what we want to see in the next round of contract negotiations. Please share this with your colleagues and patients. In the coming months we will be asking you to write to your MP about the Call to Action, and in the meantime we urge practices to continue to use our safe working guidance to limit contacts to 25 per day in order to prioritise safe patient care, within the present bounds of the GMS contract.
Read our blog series delving into the key areas that make up GPC England’s vision for general practice, the Call to action. In the second blog in the series, Richard van Mellaerts outlines what the Government must do to allow GPs to deliver better quality care for patients Invest in core values of general practice
Tell us what you think about our Call to action by emailing info.gpc@bma.org.uk
Safe working – teaching GPs to be activists
The GPC England Officer Team is inviting LMC officers toregister for a webinar about how to implement the GPCE England safe working guidance and how to teach GPs to become activists, on the following dates:
3 August 1400-1530
8 August 1500-1630
10 August 1200-1330
Register your interest to attend here.
Preparing for balloting on industrial action
We need to come together to save general practice, defend our profession, and make general practice safe for patients. In April, GPC England voted to prepare to ballot GPs on industrial action if the Government does not agree to improve the contract drastically in forthcoming negotiations.
If you are a member, make sure the details we hold for you are up to date to ensure your vote counts. Update your member details on www.bma.org.uk/my-bma or join us as a member today.
Implementing a triage system in general practice
As there is currently no standardised care navigation or triage system for GP practices, the BMA have developed a resource that is designed to support general practices to implement a triage system if they wish to do so. Ensuring that patients are seen by the appropriate clinician in the right place and at the right time supports good patient care and experience, reduces pressure on GP practices and allows GPs to spend their time where it is needed the most. For practices interested in introducing care navigation and/or triage, we have provided a number of case studies along with two triage flowchart examples that can be tailored to suit your own practice.
DDRB pay recommendation and BMA response
Last week, the Government announced its response to the DDRB recommendations for doctors’ pay in England. This announcement means that salaried GPs and all practice non-AARS staff in England will receive a 6% uplift on a consolidated basis. However, 6% is below inflation and further entrenches previous sub-inflationary uplifts. This fails to recognise the invaluable contribution and hard work of salaried colleagues and, whilst it may help retention a little, it does not go far enough. ARRS staff will receive a funded uplift in line with Agenda for Change as in previous years. Read more about what it means for GPs here
We will be working with DHSC and NHSE to agree arrangements for the additional funding.
General practice responsibility in responding to private healthcare
GPC England has published guidance on general practice responsibility in responding to private healthcare, to help practices reduce this extra workload.
Due to nearly 7.5 million people on NHS waiting lists in May 2023, patients are increasingly resorting to seeking private healthcare to deal with their health problems, which is adding extra workload for general practices. Our guidance covers what the responsibilities are for general practices in response to private providers making requests, such as making private referrals, providing medical information about patients, organise further tests, issuing prescriptions, and onward NHS referrals.
Measles warning
Modelling by the UK Health Security Agency has warned of the potential of a measles outbreak unless rates of MMR uptake improve, with particular concerns around London. NHS England is running catch-up programmes within schools and outreach programmes within local communities to raise awareness of the importance of vaccination, and practices should receive information packs from their local NHS England teams to help respond to any increase in enquiries from patients. If practices don’t receive this, or have any further queries, they should contact their ICB.
GP trainee visa sponsorship
The BMA is continuing to address the long-standing barriers to staying and working in the UK currently faced by trainee GPs as they approach completion of their training. As a temporary solution, the BMA has been working to secure agreement from the Home Office to allow an additional four months on Skilled Worker visas for GPs at the end of their training. This is intended to allow extra time to secure work with an employer and arrange sponsorship with them. The additional time will be available for all IMG trainee GPs who have successfully completed their training, and the Home Office has now confirmed this scheme will apply to GPs completing their training with Skilled Worker visas expiring from June 2023 onwards.
UK Visas and Immigration has been working with NHSE to ensure those GPs who complete their training this summer are identified when they submit their application. Those eligible should already have been contacted by NHSE with details of the application process. Note that you cannot apply more than one month before the current visa is due to expire (the end date on the BRP card or visa).
We will continue to work with government to find a permanent and lasting solution to this issue. If you believe that you may be eligible for this extension but have not been contacted with details, please get in touch with the international team via info.international@bma.org.uk
Industrial Action and time out of training (TOOT) for GP trainees
GPC UK and the GP Trainees Committee has written to all GP Training Programme Directors regarding Industrial Action and time out of training for GP trainees. Concerns were raised about the possibility that doctors who have demonstrated the competencies for their CCT could be required to carry out additional time in training due to having taken industrial action, as well as the possibility that trainees nearing the end of ST1 and ST2 could be held back. We believe that these would be improper outcomes in a competency-based qualification, and would like to avoid the unnecessary impact that extensions would have on newly qualified GPs, trainees and training practices. Affected GP trainees can contact the BMA if the extension to training has been applied inappropriately.
Sessional GPs conference
The Sessional GPs conference will take place on Friday 22 September 2023 at BMA House and is free to BMA members with a cost of £75 plus VAT for non BMA members. There will be a mix of plenary and workshop sessions, including: Health and well-being for sessional GPs; Gender Pay Gap; Pensions; Know your contract; Portfolio working; Dealing with complaints; Negotiation skills
Wellbeing resources
As we continue to face overwhelming pressures in general practice, we encourage practices to continue to focus on their own team’s wellbeing and take time to meet to reflect on their wellbeing and what they can do to protect it. This will meet the requirements of the QOF targets in the GP contract to do your quality improvement project on staff wellbeing. We have produced a document which includes some tangible recommendations and tools for improving workload and safe working.
A range of wellbeing and support services are available to doctors, from our 24/7 counselling and peer support services, NHS practitioner health service and Samaritans. The organisation Doctors in Distress also provides mental health support for health workers in the UK, providing confidential peer support group sessions. See our poster with 10 tips to help maintain and support wellbeing.
Please visit the BMA’s wellbeing support services page for more information and resources.
GPC England committee pages and guidance for practices
Read more about the work of the Committee
Read practical guidance for GP practices
See the latest update on Twitter: @BMA_GP / Twitter @TheBMA / Twitter
Read about BMA in the media: BMA media centre | British Medical Association
Contact us: info.GPC@bma.org.uk
Read the last bulletin: Call to action for general practice | industrial action ballot preparations | implementing a triage system
Read the latest Sessional GPs newsletter
ARM (Annual Representative Meeting) update
The BMA's ARM in Liverpool this week has brought meaningful discussion, debate and strong representation on behalf of the medical profession.
GPC UK and its component committees, including GPC England has shared its report with the ARM, outlining its work to support and lobby on behalf of GPs this year. Read the report
A motion was passed recognising the existing crisis in general practice, calling on the BMA to explore universal healthcare systems from other countries, with the aim of learning from them and potentially implementing augmented or alternative systems in the UK. Another motion which recognises the stress created by the current Government policy and calls on the BMA to support members who refuse to declare their income also passed comfortably. Read all the motions passed
Call to action for general practice
The BMA’s GP Committee for England (GPCE) recently published our Call to action (CTA) for general practice - our strategy for what we need to provide high-quality care for our patients and which explains what we want to see in the next round of contract negotiations.
Read our blog series delving into the key areas that make up GPCE’s vision for general practice, the Call to action. In the first blog in the series, Richard van Mellaerts outlines why removing bureaucracy and box-ticking is a priority demand for the BMA Let GPs do their job
Tell us what you think about our Call to action by emailing info.gpc@bma.org.uk
Parliamentary activity
GPCE met with Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats and Spokesperson for Health and Social Care, Daisy Cooper MP. During the meeting we discussed our concerns for recruitment and retention of GPs, alongside patient safety. Daisy Cooper offered assurances the Liberal Democrats did not intend to reform the primary care model, and agreed to continue to talk to the BMA, as they develop their manifesto ahead of the upcoming election.
GPCE wrote jointly with the RCGP, NAPC, NHS Confed and PSNC to Primary Care Minister, Neil O’Brien MP, following the recent publication of the Primary Care Access Recovery Plan requesting a meeting to discuss the plan, and more broadly the long-term future of general practice.
Safe working and preparing for balloting on industrial action
As the current working conditions are not safe for patients or GPs, we urge practices to continue to use our safe working guidance to limit contacts to 25 per day in order to prioritise safe patient care, within the present bounds of the GMS contract.
We need to come together to save general practice, defend our profession, and make general practice safe for patients. In April, GPC England voted to prepare to ballot GPs on industrial action if the Government does not agree to improve the contract drastically in forthcoming negotiations.
If you are a member, make sure the details we hold for you are up to date to ensure your vote counts. Update your member details on www.bma.org.uk/my-bma or join us as a member today.
Advice to LMCs regarding preparatory activity relating to industrial action
Please find attached the advice to LMCs regarding preparation for industrial action. This has had input and sign off from the legal team, and been tested with LMC reps with adjustments made as a result. Further guidance will be forthcoming in the future.
If there are questions, comments or suggestions, please send these to info.lmcqueries@bma.org.uk.
Please continue to invite officers to speak to your LMCs about IA and hopefully this document gives you the advice and support that is useful.
NHS Workforce long term plan
NHSE has published the NHS Workforce long term plan, which models workforce demand and supply over a 15-year period and the resulting shortfall, showing that without immediate action the NHS will face a workforce gap of more than 260,000–360,000 staff by 2036/37. It sets out three priority areas: train, retain, and reform - aiming to grow the workforce whilst increasing retention of existing staff, and changes to medical education and training that aim to diversify routes into the NHS.
Some of the key ambitions include doubling the number of medical school training places to 15,000 by 2031/32, increasing the number of GP training places by 50% to 6,000 by 2031/32, increasing training and supervision capacity in primary care so GPs in training can spend the full three years of their training in primary care settings. The government will invest more than £2.4 billion to fund the 27% expansion in training places by 2028/29.
The BMA is compiling a briefing for members which will be included in the next LMC Update.
GPs honoured
GPC England would like to extend its congratulations to the following GPs for being made Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), for services to general practice, in King’s birthday list honours
Re-ballot for junior doctor strike action and important information re eligibility to vote
The re-ballot for junior doctors (including GP trainees) is open. Please encourage your GP trainee colleagues to vote YES and post their ballot back as soon as possible, and no later than 26 August.
It is important to note that if you will no longer be a junior doctor / GP trainee on 31 August, you will need to contact the BMA by calling 0300 123 1233 or emailing doctorspay@bma.org.uk and opt-out from receiving a ballot. This includes if you are due to obtain your CCT (certificate of completion of training) or you are on maternity leave for the whole mandate period from 31 August to 29 February 2024. However, if you are a junior doctor for one day of the mandate period, you are eligible to vote.
Please inform all GP trainees within your practices - they can update their membership details here
BMA’s Patient liaison group member vacancies: could you help make a difference in healthcare?
Vacancies for three patient/lay members, and one BMA grassroot doctor member with thefollowing experience:
Deadline to submit applications for both positions is midnight, Sunday 9 July.
Wellbeing resources
As we continue to face overwhelming pressures in general practice, we encourage practices to continue to focus on their own team’s wellbeing and take time to meet to reflect on their wellbeing and what they can do to protect it. This will meet the requirements of the QOF targets in the GP contract to do your quality improvement project on staff wellbeing. We have produced a document which includes some tangible recommendations and tools for improving workload and safe working.
A range of wellbeing and support services are available to doctors, from our 24/7 counselling and peer support services, NHS practitioner health service and Samaritans. The organisation Doctors in Distress also provides mental health support for health workers in the UK, providing confidential peer support group sessions. See our poster with 10 tips to help maintain and support wellbeing.
Please visit the BMA’s wellbeing support services page for more information and resources.
GPC England committee pages and guidance for practices
Read more about the work of the Committee
Read practical guidance for GP practices
See the latest update on Twitter: @BMA_GP / Twitter @TheBMA / Twitter
Read about BMA in the media: BMA media centre | British Medical Association
Contact us: info.GPC@bma.org.uk
Read the last bulletin: Call to action for general practice | safe working and ballot preparations | new GP workforce data
Call to action for general practice
The BMA’s GP Committee for England (GPCE) has published our Call to action (CTA) for general practice, created by GPs for GPs, which is our strategy for what we need to provide high-quality care for our patients and which compiles what we want to see in the next round of contract negotiations.
GPCE wants the Government to trust GPs to deliver the care that our patients deserve, and to do this, we need:
To help us get closer to a general practice that can provide better quality care for patients, we are asking members to bring the CTA to their practice and LMC meetings.
By working together, we can develop an engaged supporter base of GPs and LMCs pushing for change so you have the necessary time and investment to deliver better quality care for your patients.
Read our Call to action for general practice – our strategy to provide high-quality care for our patients that outlines what is needed in the next round of contract negotiations. Read more here
Safe working and preparing for balloting on industrial action
As the current working conditions are not safe for patients or GPs, practices are strongly encouraged to continue to use our safe working guidance to limit contacts to 25 per day in order to prioritise safe patient care, within the present bounds of the GMS contract.
We need to come together to save general practice, defend our profession, and make general practice safe for patients. In April, GPC England voted to prepare to ballot GPs on industrial action if the Government does not agree to improve the contract drastically in forthcoming negotiations.
Please join us as we prepare for potential industrial action. By law, only BMA members can participate in a ballot on industrial action, and the more BMA members working collectively sends a powerful message to government that the present situation must urgently change. If you are a member, make sure the details we hold for you are up to date to ensure your vote counts. Update your member details on www.bma.org.uk/my-bma or join us as a member today.
We will be communicating further over the coming weeks and months.
GP workforce figures
The latest GP workforce data, published todayshowed that the number of fully qualified GPs continues to decline significantly. In May 2023, the NHS in England had the equivalent of 27,200 fully qualified GPs, which is 2,165 fewer than in September 2015.
The longer-term trend clearly shows that the NHS is losing GPs at an alarming rate: over the past year (between May 2022 and May 2023) it lost the equivalent of 427 fully qualified full-time GPs, and the equivalent of 36 fully qualified GPs per month over the past year.
This coincides with a rise in patients: as of May 2023, there was another record-high of over 62.49 million patients registered with practices in England, with an average number of patients each full-time equivalent GP is responsible for continues to rise, and now stands at 2,297. This is an increase of 360 patients per GP since 2015, demonstrating the ever-mounting workload in general practice.
Read more about the pressures in general practice here
COVID therapeutics
CMDUs (Covid Medicines Delivery Units) are ceasing from 27 June 2023, and NHS England has written to ICBs to ensure provision of Covid therapeutics is commissioned. GPCE has produced guidance for GPs about this, and practices should have a clear pathway to refer/signpost patients to continue access to COVID therapeutics for vulnerable patients. This cohort of patients will have been contacted and may call practices about how to access their locally commissioned service (other services can also refer/signpost directly such as 111). Read the guidance
PCN IIF capacity and access support payments – ICB templates for PCN ‘access improvement plans’
We are aware that some ICBs are circulating template access improvement plans for PCNs and constituent practices to complete. It looks like the intention is to ensure ICBs have evidence that PCNs / practices have met the requirements of NHSE’s guidance in order to secure payment.
The funds from the capacity and access improvement fund have been provided to improve patient access, not to support PCNs to complete bureaucratic templates for ICBs. GPCE thus believes that any governance should be light touch, and agreed by LMCs, before being implemented.
If you believe the ICB has gone beyond the realms of reasonable expectation within any bespoke local planning template you receive, please share it with GPC England (info.gpc@bma.org.uk) so it can be raised with NHSE’s central GP contract team for investigation and simplification.
Re-ballot for junior doctor strike action and important information re eligibility to vote
This week the re-ballot for junior doctors (including GP trainees) opened. Please encourage your GP trainee colleagues to vote YES and post their ballot as soon as possible, and no later than 26 August.
It is important to note that if you will no longer be a junior doctor / GP trainee on 31 August, you will need to contact the BMA by calling 0300 123 1233 or emailing doctorspay@bma.org.uk and opt-out from receiving a ballot. This includes if you are due to obtain your CCT (certificate of completion of training) or you are on maternity leave for the whole mandate period from 31 August to 29 February 2024. However if you are a junior doctor even for one day of the mandate period (31 Aug – 29 Feb), you are eligible to vote.
Please inform all GP trainees within your practices - they can update their membership details here
Read more about the re-ballot for junior doctors here
GPCE concerns about new health data deal for large multinational firm
Responding to news reports that NHS England has awarded Palantir a new deal to transition existing NHS projects into a new federated data platform (potentially worth over £400m), David Wrigley, deputy chair and digital lead of GPC England, said:
“GPs have long raised concerns about the appropriate use of patient data, and today’s decision by the Government to give £25m to a huge US-based multinational company, to do further work on a large NHS patient data project, only exacerbates these concerns.”
We have called for NHSE and DHSC to urgently discuss with us how they plan to use confidential patient data within this data platform and what role Palantir will play. Read our full statement here
Statement on “the primary care doctor”
GPC UK and SASC UK have produced a statement in response to proposals from the GMC and NHS England for regulatory change and the creation of a “primary care doctor”. We do not believe that general practice currently has the staff, financial or premises resources to accommodate an intake of "primary care doctors", nor do we believe that the proposals are being designed to benefit doctors who want to make the switch into primary care. The statement outlines our concerns with the different ways in which “primary care doctors” could be introduced.
2023/24 PCN DES ready reckoner now available on NHSE website
As with previous years, NHSE has updated the PCN DES ready reckoner originally agreed at the start of the 2019-24 contract framework for use by GP practices. Should you have any questions or queries about it, please contact info.gpc@bma.org.uk and find out more here
Wellbeing resources
As we continue to face overwhelming pressures in general practice, we encourage practices to continue to focus on their own team’s wellbeing and take time to meet to reflect on their wellbeing and what they can do to protect it. This will meet the requirements of the QOF targets in the GP contract to do your quality improvement project on staff wellbeing. We have produced a document which includes some tangible recommendations and tools for improving workload and safe working.
A range of wellbeing and support services are available to doctors, from our 24/7 counselling and peer support services, NHS practitioner health service and Samaritans. The organisation Doctors in Distress also provides mental health support for health workers in the UK, providing confidential peer support group sessions. See our poster with 10 tips to help maintain and support wellbeing.
Please visit the BMA’s wellbeing support services page for more information and resources.
GPC England committee pages and guidance for practices
Read more about the work of the Committee
Read practical guidance for GP practices
See the latest update on Twitter: @BMA_GP / Twitter @TheBMA / Twitter
Read about BMA in the media: BMA media centre | British Medical Association
Contact us: info.GPC@bma.org.uk
Read the last bulletin: Call to action for general practice | safe working and ballot preparations | new GP workforce data
BMA secures significant reduction in NHSPS service charge claims for practices
The BMA has successfully assisted five GP practices in significantly reducing years of unsubstantiated service charge claims demanded by NHS Property Services (NHSPS) – with one practice seeing NHSPS’ claim against them reduced by more than £400,000, a reduction of more than 80%.
The landmark cases, brought in 2020, were started after practices began to struggle to afford soaring service charges set by NHSPS, despite there being no prior agreement or explanation for the price hike.
BMA lawyers challenged NHSPS on two issues: the legal basis on which the charges were being imposed, and the magnitude of the fees.
During the first phase of the case, the BMA and the practices sought a legal declaration that NHSPS could not rely on its Consolidated Charging Policy as a basis for issuing the new charges, and that the imposition of the higher charges was therefore, unlawful.
Despite the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and the extraordinary pressure this placed GPs under, NHSPS launched a countersuit against each of the practices demanding recovery of the historical service charges, transforming the dispute into a major commercial lawsuit.
In June 2020, NHSPS admitted that its charging policy had not been incorporated into or retrospectively varied the practices’ legal terms of occupation and existing service charge obligations. The BMA then assisted the five practices in settling with NHSPS the fees and service charges sums outside of court, for the period between 2013/14 and 2019/20, securing reductions on the amounts claimed by NHSPS for the five practices ranging from £25,000 to more than £400,000, a total reduction of more than £750,000.
The BMA has created guidance for practices in a similar position, to help advise them on what to do if they are also facing disproportionate service charges.
Read the full statement and comment by Gaurav Gupta, GPC premises lead at the BMA, here
Accelerated Access to Records
Following the imposition of the GP contract, practices will be expected to provide automatic prospective record access to all patients from 31st October 2023. While GPC England remains committed to finding a way forward whilst acknowledging the reality on the ground for GPs, we have prepared guidance outlining steps practices should take ahead of the planned switch on. If you have any questions not addressed in the guidance, please get in touch with info.gpc@bma.org.uk
Parliamentary activity
We have written to the Primary Care Minister, Neil O’Brien to highlight the motions passed at LMC UK conference regarding increased costs of running practices, and pay restoration for practice funding, and the Minister has agreed to meet to discuss these issues. We have also written, with the chair of Northern Ireland GPC, to the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, asking for him to work with DHSC to deliver a package of support to meet increased practice costs, particularly those linked to inflation.
In addition, GPCE and the sessional GPs committee have written to Sir Keir Starmer to outline our key concerns and priorities for the future of general practice following their recent NHS plan, and offered a roundtable with him and his team to discuss Labour party policy in this area. We have also met with a special advisor to the Shadow Health secretary to discuss the future of general practice.
Following our meeting we were encouraged to see Labour MP Karin Smyth, raise our concerns regarding spiralling costs to practices during health questions in the House of Commons.
Safe working and preparing for balloting on industrial action
Current working conditions are not safe, for patients or GPs, and practices are strongly encouraged to continue to use our safe working guidance , and to limit contacts to 25 per day in order to prioritise safe patient care, within the present bounds of the GMS contract.
We need to come together to save general practice, defend our profession, and make general practice safe for patients. In April, GPC England voted to prepare to ballot GPs on industrial action if the Government does not agree to improve the contract drastically in forthcoming negotiations.
Please join us as we prepare for potential industrial action. By law, only BMA members can participate in a ballot on industrial action, and the more BMA members working collectively sends a powerful message to government that the present situation must urgently change. If you are a member, make sure the details we hold for you are up to date to ensure your vote counts. Update your member details on www.bma.org.uk/my-bma or join us as a member today.
The BMA will be communicating directly with GPs and LMCs over the coming weeks and months.
Junior doctors' and GP trainees strike action
The BMA has announced further industrial action to be undertaken by junior doctors (including GP Trainees) in England, after Government failed to make credible pay offer. A 72-hour walkout will take place between 0700 on Wednesday 14 June and 0700 on Saturday 17 June.
GPC England supports all junior doctors, including GP trainees, in their pursuit for pay restoration to 2008 levels, and we would urge practices in standing with GP trainees in their fight for fair pay. Show your support for the future of healthcare in England.
We have published comprehensive guidance for GP practices, trainers and LMCs which covers everything from managing the impact of strike action on practice work to GP trainee rotas and information on how GP practices can support GP trainees financially.
We have produced a poster which we encourage you to display in your practice, a patient information leaflet, and an infographic that can be used on your website - order here
The BMA has also published guidance on strike action for GP trainees.
See more on the strike action on GP trainees twitter https://twitter.com/BMAGPtrainees
COVID therapeutics
As you may be aware CMDUs (Covid Medicines Delivery Units) are ceasing from 27th June. NHS England has written to ICBs to ensure provision of Covid therapeutics is commissioned. We have produced guidance for GPs about this and a letter for LMCs to send to ICBs. Practices should have a clear pathway to refer/signpost patients to continue access to COVID therapeutics for vulnerable patients. This cohort of patients will have been contacted and may call practices about how to access their locally commissioned service (other services can also refer/signpost directly such as 111). Read our guidance, which will be available shortly here
BMA member briefing on the GP delivery plan
In the last update, we shared our member briefing on the NHS England and DHSC Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care. ICBs are responsible for ensuring that providers are fulfilling the requirements in the plan and to monitor and report to NHSE the progress being made.
We have now published template letters to support practices and LMCs to engage with their local Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) regarding the implementation of the primary secondary care interface elements of the plan. Please feel free to adapt to local needs.
LMC UK Conference 2023
The 2023 UK LMC Conference took place 18-19 May, chaired by Katie Bramall-Stainer and opened by Andrew Buist and Alan Stout, GPC UK co-chairs. The motions, debates and speeches throughout conference highlighted the UK wide crisis in general practice, and the need for further changes.
The resolutions and election results have now been published, and a recorded webcast of the event
Sessional GP Week 2023
To support and celebrate your valued sessional GP colleagues, the BMA has created ‘Sessional GP Week’ taking place on the 12-16 June. This will be a week-long celebration highlighting the value of sessional GPs and promoting sessional GP as a positive, diverse and enriching career choice. The focus for the week is ‘respect, reward, retain’.
Resources will be shared throughout the week, and a different theme each day, so please encourage your colleagues to get involved. You will also find out more about what the sessional GP committee is doing and how they are supporting you. Read more on the sessional GPs Committee page
Show your support for your colleagues on Twitter @BMA_GP using the #SessionalGPWeek2023
Sessional GPs Conference – Save the date
We are pleased to announce that the Sessional GP Committee will be hosting a conference for members and non-members across the UK on Friday 22 September, at BMA House, 10-5pm. It will consist of plenary sessions, CPD type breakout groups and a platform to hear from grassroot members. A final programme will be circulated with the registration link in due course but for now save the date. See attached a poster for practices and register your interest: confunit@bma.org.uk
NHS.net email for locums
We have had confirmation that the licences for Microsoft Apps for Enterprise for those in the locum container of NHSmail will continue to be provisioned for the next financial year following work by NHS England. These licences are required to use desktop versions of Office 365 (e.g. Microsoft Word) which can link into clinical systems for the creation of referral forms. The Sessional GPs Committee repeatedly raised the necessity of such access when issues first came to light in January
2021 after parts of the country moved to Office 365 and continues to make the case for ongoing access on your behalf. For more tips on the use of the locum container, see the blog by Mark Coley, GPC England IT lead, here
Our Future Health research programme
Our Future Health is a new research programme designed to help people live healthier lives for longer, through the discovery and testing of more effective approaches to prevention, earlier detection and treatment of diseases. The aim is to collect and link multiple sources of health and health-relevant information, including genetic data, across a cohort of up to 5 million people that truly reflects the UK population.
Volunteers will give consent to join the research programme and provide secure access to their health records, complete a questionnaire, have a blood sample taken, and physical measurements. They will also be offered information about their own health, including BP and cholesterol levels.[CB1] The programme aims to minimise workload for GPs advising patients not to contact practices except in limited circumstances.
Our Future Health has held some webinars for GP practices – the webinar slides, recording and other documents are available here. Please email engage@ourfuturehealth.org.uk for further information.
Wellbeing resources
As we continue to face overwhelming pressures in general practice, we encourage practices to continue to focus on their own team’s wellbeing and take some time to meet to reflect on their wellbeing and what they can do to protect it.
This will meet the requirements of the QOF targets in the GP contract to do your quality improvement project on staff wellbeing. We have produced a document which includes some tangible recommendations and tools for improving workload and safe working.
A range of wellbeing and support services are available to doctors, from our 24/7 confidential counselling and peer support services, NHS practitioner health service and non-medical support services such as Samaritans. The organisation Doctors in Distress also provides mental health support for health workers in the UK, providing confidential peer support group sessions.
See our poster with 10 tips to help maintain and support the wellbeing of you and your colleagues.
Please visit the BMA’s wellbeing support services page for more information and resources.
GPC England committee pages and guidance for practices
Read more about the work of the Committee
Read practical guidance for GP practices
See the latest update on Twitter: @BMA_GP / Twitter @TheBMA / Twitter
Read about BMA in the media: BMA media centre | British Medical Association
Contact us: info.GPC@bma.org.uk
Read the last bulletin: NHSPS service charge success | accelerated access to records guidance | parliamentary activity
@Catharina Ohman can we ad the same wording as the GPC update in this paragraph? [CB1]
