GPs are being offered £350 for each additional session they offer in-hours and training to streamline their practices, under a new CCG scheme to boost appointments in primary care.
Pulse has learnt that East Lancashire CCG is piloting a new scheme where practices are paid £350 for each additional 2.5-hour clinical session – including one hour administration time – during core hours.
The CCG is also offering additional funding of just under £1,000 funding for GPs to attend ‘action learning workshops’ on managing capacity and demand and engage their practice team in implementing what they have learnt. Practices undertaking the extended hours DES will also be offered additional funding to open even later.
The CCG said the pilot was aimed at reducing demand on urgent care services and improving patient experience of primary care.
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A spokesperson said: ‘Access to GP services, appointments, professionals, information and prescriptions were identified as key themes during the development of the [local primary care] strategy by both member practices and patients and as a result ensuring equitable access to a range of responsive, quality primary care services is currently a key area of work for the CCG.’
The CCG said it hoped that all 62 member practices would take part and that around half had signed up to date. In addition, 16 practices have applied for funding to provide extra in-hours sessions and 17 to provide more sessions during extended hours.
The scheme follows a number from CCGs around the country to ease pressure on A&E departments and as the Government has also invited bids on its own £50m pilot scheme to trial seven-day access to GPs.
