Access requirements The GMS Regulations have been updated to clarify that patients should be offered an assessment of need, or signposted to an appropriate service, at first contact with the practice.
Access to records The deadline for full implementation of prospective patient online access to their records will be extended to 31 October.
Cloud-based telephony A requirement will be introduced for practices to procure their telephony solutions only from an NHS framework once their current telephony contracts expire.
GP registration requirements The GMS contract regulations will be amended to remove the reference to the term ’medical cards’ within the registration requirements.
Funding‘Investment and Evolution: A five year Framework for GP contract reform’ sets out the expected funding arrangements. It specifies agreed funding to provide pay uplifts in line with predicted inflation (as at April 2019). This year the funding provides for a 2.1% pay uplift for all GPs, practice staff and practice expenses.
GPC England sought additional funding in line with the current rate of inflation. Despite presenting significant evidence, including findings from a representative survey of practices and a series of case studies highlighting the extreme pressure practices are facing, the case for additional funding was rejected by Government ministers.
Vaccination and ImmunisationsVaccinations and immunisations requirements will be amended to reflectupdated JCVI guidance. This includes changes to the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Shingles programmes.
Childhood Immunisations There will be a number of changes to the childhood V&I programme. These include:
Removal of the V and I repayment mechanism if a practice achieves under 80% coverage Changes to the childhood V & I QOF thresholds, so that lower thresholds are reduced to 81% – 89% (dependent on indicator) and the upper thresholds raised to 96% Clarification of the wording in the SFE that an Item of Service fee will be payable for vaccinations for medical reasons and incomplete or unknown vaccination status (‘evergreen offer’).
QOF (Quality and outcomes framework)All disease register indicators will be income protected for the year, with funding paid to practices based on 2022/23 performance monthly once the 2022/23 QOF outturn is finalised.
Two new cholesterol indicators (worth 30 points~£36m) will be added to QOF along with a new overarching mental health indicator. These will be funded by retiring indicator RA002 (the percentage of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, on the register, who have had a face-to-face review in the preceding 12 months) and reducing the value of DEM004 (annual dementia review).
Indicator AF007 will be retired and replaced with the former IIF indicator CVD-05 (as AF008):
The Quality Improvement (QI) modules for 2023/24 will focus on workforce wellbeing and optimising demand and capacity.
There will also be other small changes to indicator wordings and values in 2023/24.
