We had a positive experience in our contract negotiations during 2011/12, although with lawyers involved in checking and agreeing changes for the GPs and Care Trust Plus, it was a rather drawn-out process.
A team was appointed to undertake the negotiations which consisted of three GPs, two practice managers ,the LMC chief officer and a team of three from the CTP for NE Lincolnshire, including an outside assessor.
I would point out that all GPs, apart from one, in NE Lincolnshire are on the same PMS contract.
The LMC’s involvement was crucial and the main point was that no money was taken out of GP practice income if the practice achieved the highest levels on the KPIs that were put into the new contract to cover the reduction in the baseline contract payments. The KPI s have three levels and for the first year the mid-level was accepted as fully achieved.
It appears that many practices are now achieving high levels of KPIs and some fully, although a fair number of practices have lost some funding due to poor KPI achievement. Many local LESs are in the basic contract.
Generally most North East Lincolnshire GPs are happy with the situation.
My final point is that in some areas a lot of funding has been removed from practice income as baseline funding has been fixed at basic GMS contract levels, without any consideration of the MPIG correction factor, where many GMS practices do very well and probably better than if they were in PMS.
Dr Derek Hopper is a GP in Grimsby in East Lincolnshire
