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Indemnity provider changes subs in response to seven-day access drive

Medical Protection has made changes to how it sets GP subscriptions in response to the Government’s drive for seven-day routine GP access.

The indemnity provider’s new subscriptions will see sessions previously defined as ‘core hours’ and ‘out of hours’ instead classed as ‘scheduled care sessions’ and ‘unscheduled care sessions’.  

Under the new work patterns, scheduled care can be any time between 8am to 8pm, seven days a week, where registered patients are seen by appointment and staff have access to the patient’s full medical record. 

Any other work, such as sessions undertaken at any time of day in a walk-in or urgent care setting, will fall under the unscheduled care definition.

Medical Protection said the change would be ‘particularly good news’ for taking part in the Prime Minister’s seven-day access pilots in England.

The Government is working to meet its political manifesto pledge for all patients in England to be able to book routine GP appointments to , seven days a week by 2020.

Head of underwriting policy at Medical Protection, Dr Nick Clements, said: ‘Primary care is evolving, with new models of care and practices opening longer, and it’s important that we reflect these changes in the way we set membership subscriptions.

’Previously, we based subscription rates on the time the care was undertaken, whereas now it is based on whether the care is scheduled or unscheduled. This is particularly good news for in practices that are extending their opening hours, such as through the Prime Minister’s GP Access Fund.’