Previous GP contracts in England

See changes made in previous GP contracts.
Location: England
Audience: GPs Practice managers
Updated: Friday 28 June 2024
Contract and pen article illustration

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GP contract 2019/20

Read the deal in full PDF/1MB

Primary care networks

Practices to form primary care networks through a new network DES (directed enhanced service), building on the core contract.

Medical indemnity

  • A state-backed indemnity scheme to cover clinical negligence for all GPs and staff working in NHS GP providers, both in and out of hours.
  • Run by NHS Resolution, there is no direct cost to practices or GPs, and means GPs no longer pay spiralling subscriptions.

Funding

In 2019 the GP contract increased by 1.4%, in addition to the funding through networks. This included:

  • 2% uplift for GP and staff pay and expenses
  • uplift for practices to establish and develop networks
  • uplift due to population increase
  • adjustment for state-backed indemnity scheme
  • increase to value of some vaccinations and immunisations, including influenza, to bring them all up to the same level of £10.06
  • £20m recurrent for costs associated with SARs
  • £30m for practices to make appointments available to NHS 111

  • GPs whose NHS earnings are over £150,000 required to make this public

  • new funding formula so the rurality index only applies to patients who live within the practice boundary

  • new funding formula so that the London adjustment applies to patients who are actually resident in London

  • A QOF (quality outcomes framework) point increased from £179.26 to £187.74.

IT, digital and access

  • A programme to digitise paper records, creating complete electronic patient records.
  • A digital solution to SARs developed in the next three years, where patients can access their data rather than making a request.
  • Practices required to offer one appointment per 3,000 patients, per day, for NHS 111 to book registered patients into following triage. 
  • Practices must not use fax machines.

Other

  • HPV vaccination catch-up for girls will be extended to those aged 25.
  • HPV vaccination starts for boys.
  • MMR catch-up for 10- to 11-year-olds.
  • FP10 will be redesigned (including to take account of GDPR) and a new requirement introduced to annotate scripts, eg ‘SH’ where patients are legally entitled to free prescription for sexual health. 
  • Practices required to provide an email address and mobile number (for exceptional circumstances) to receive MHRA alerts.
  • £2m invested for issues related to Capita recurring, until it is no longer necessary.
  • Provisions for GP cover for shared parental leave, in line with cover for maternity/paternity/adoption leave, will be added to the SFE.
  • Practices to no longer advertise or host private GP providers with the same core GP provisions that are free on the NHS. 

 

GP contract 2018/19

Funding

  • An additional £61.5m put into global sum, for the extra 1% for GP and staff pay.
  • Global sum rise from £85.35 to £87.92 per weighted patient.
  • QOF point increase from £171.20 to £179.26.
  • Item of service payments for all V&I programmes delivered via the SFE uplifted from £9.80 to £10.06.
  • Uplift to the reimbursement schemes for parental and sickness cover.

Indemnity

  • An extra £30m indemnity payment, bringing the total up to £60m - £1.017 per patient.

Premises cost directions

  • Rent reviews not leading to varying lease terms.
  • Rent reviews not requiring contractors to undertake their own valuation.
  • Board reimbursing rent.
  • Formalised arrangements for third party use of premises.
  • Contractual rights to reclaim overpayments.
  • PCD funding for anyone providing general medical services.
  • Improvement grants permitted to purchase land to build an extension to existing premises.
  • Explicit options if an owner-occupier is in receipt of a grant and hands back core contract during the abatement period.
  • Explicit options if a leaseholder is in receipt of a grant and hands back core contract during the abatement period.

Other changes

 

GP contract 2015/16

Funding

  • Seniority payments phased out.
  • 1% pay increase.
  • Increase in global sum from £73.56 to £75.77.
  • QOF point value increasing from £156.92 to £160.15.

Services

  • Learning disabilities enhanced service extended.
  • Extended hours enhanced service extended.
  • Avoiding unplanned admissions enhanced service discontinued.
  • Changes to vaccinations service specifications.
  • Patient participation enhanced service discontinued.
  • Alcohol enhanced service discontinued.

IT requirements

  • Requirement to include the NHS number in all NHS correspondence.
  • Requirement to enable automated uploads to the summary care record.
  • Requirement to use GP2GP record transfer for all registrations.
  • Requirement to offer online booking of prescriptions and appointments.
  • Prepare for online record access.

Other changes

  • Requirement to have named GPs.
  • Publication of GP net earnings.
  • Practices entitled to reimbursement of the cost of GP cover for maternity, paternity or adoption leave of £1,131.74 for the first two weeks and £1,734.18 thereafter.
  • Armed forces personnel within a cohort to be registered with a GP practice for longer than three months and up to a maximum of two years.

 

GP contract 2014/15

  • Requirement for all patients over 75 to have a named GP.
  • IT related changes became part of the of GP contract, including electronic appointment booking, requesting online repeat prescriptions and access to summary information on the patient record.
  • Choice of GP practice scheme extended.
  • Friends and family test became a requirement.
  • Practices had to report on the quality requirements for out of hours services.