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GPs call on NHS England to strip Capita of support services contract

GP leaders have voted in favour of a motion pushing for NHS England to strip Capita of its contract to provide primary care support services.

The motion, which comes as GPs have said they are still struggling with missing payments, performers list delays and a general lack of responsiveness from Primary Care Support England, was passed in full at todaty’s England LMCs Conference.

It said GPC England should ‘make the return of the delivery of primary care support function to the public domain a central demand in the next round of contract negotiations’.

Dr Elliott Singer from Waltham Forest LMC proposed the motion said the GPC needs to have a ‘difficult conversation’ with NHS England, as Capita continues to fail to deliver.

He told delegates: ‘We know you’re frequently in discussion with both NHS England and Capita about the issues affecting practices on a daily basis. 

‘You now need to have a difficult conversation with NHS England. Capita is not delivering. They have been given too many opportunities to get this right and have failed.’ 

Dr Sarah Westerbeek, from Kent LMC, speaking in favour of the motion, said if GPs made similar mistakes to those of Capita, ‘it’s fair to say we would be standing up in front of the GMC’.

She said: ‘There is very little accountability within Capita. As doctors we work to high professional standards. Why can’t we expect the same from the companies that work with us.’ 

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However, Dr David Gibbs from Kent LMC asked the conference whether ‘we really want NHS England to take over the running of the service’, after receiving a letter from NHS England, which said, that GPs ‘should not be having issues’. 

He said: ‘What we actually need is to reinvest those £400m that were saved when this contract was awarded.’

Before the vote, Dr Ian Hume, the GPC’s practice finance lead, said the GPC was ‘absolutely determined to push on all these issues’ with a ‘push to make sure we have a system that works’.

The motion, which also included addressing the collection of superannuation contributions and demanding that NHS England prioritise PCSE service improvement on financial statements, was passed in all parts.

The BMA has recently called on NHS England to deal with ‘continued failures’ in the delivery of vital services provided by Capita, which they claim has seen delays in paying trainees, registering and removing patients and problems with dealing with pension contributions.

The motion in full

AGENDA COMMITTEE TO BE PROPOSED BY WALTHAM FOREST: That conference calls upon GPC England to: 

(i) make the return of the delivery of primary care support functions to the public domain a central demand in the next round of contract negotiations 

(ii) urgently address Capita’s failure to correctly collect superannuation contributions in England and seek recompense for those practitioners affected 

(iii) demand that NHS England prioritise PCSE service improvement with regard to financial statements so that practices can undertake informed business planning.