This site is intended for health professionals only


‘New deal’ for GPs: at a glance

Workforce

‘Changing focus’ on medical education so that general practice is compulsory and a ‘better experience’;

Marketing campaign to medical students (first announced in NHS England’s ten-point review);

Rolling out the pre-GP training year, having claimed success (first announced in NHS England ten-point review);

The returner scheme to tempt GPs back to UK general practice (first announced in NHS England ten-point plan);

‘New flexibilities’ for GPs reaching retirement age, to be worked out with the BMA and the RCGP  (first announced in NHS England ten-point plan);

1,000 physician associates will be available to work in general practice by 2020 (new deal announcement);

Incentivise new GPs with a year training in another specialty (first announced in NHS England ten-point plan).

Workload

NHS England produces statistics about clinical staffing levels per patient (new deal announcement);

NHS England to develop tools to help practices reduce the reporting burden and manage the mountain of bureaucracy to report by the autumn (new deal announcement).  

Funding

NHS England to work with NHS Clinical Commissioners to develop £10m programme of support for struggling practices (new deal announcement);

£1bn ‘Primary Care Infrastructure Fund (PCIF)’ spread over four years (first announced in 2014 Autumn Statement);

£7.5m of the PCIF to go to train community pharmacists and give them appropriate tools (new deal announcement).

Seven-day access

Government admits that seven-day access aim is to reduce A&E attendances: ‘The role and purpose of 7 day primary care is about much more than  convenience – it is about making sure precious hospital capacity is kept clear for those who really need it’ (new deal announcement);

18 million people to benefit from improved access by 2016 (Challenge Fund);

Scrutiny

Health Foundation to work with NHS England to work on ways of publishing practices’ clinical outcomes relating to vulnerable patients to be published in the autumn, with first data to be published in Spring. The CQC, BMA, RCGP will also be involved in the work (new deal announcement).

Social prescribing

Guidance to be produced by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges on making social prescribing become ‘as normal a part of your job as medical prescribing is today’ (new deal announcement).