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Delay online records access DES, says GPC

The GPC has called for the Government to postpone a number of key features of its contract imposition, if they this goes ahead from April.

This included reducing the time GPs have to report QOF achievement from 15 to 12 months, GPs paying locum superannuations and the online DES, which it warned is being rushed through.

GPC deputy chair Dr Richard Vautrey said: ‘I think the two key issues that need to be postponed is the issue of superannuation payments to locums and the issue of reducing QOF reporting deadlines from a 15-month to 12-month window, which we think will mean significant extra work for practices. And because it has come so late in the year, it means practices won’t have the time to put in place into their systems what the new QOF targets and thresholds are, and moving that to a 12-month timetable makes that even more challenging.’

‘The online DES we have concerns about. They are pushing towards greater access and online records before all of the consequences have been worked through and before the RCGP’s roadmap, which they have been working on with ourselves, has been properly reviewed and looked at. They are pushing ahead so quickly without fully understanding all the consequences of what they are implementing.’