Remote Care Monitoring (Preparation) Scheme Year End Reporting Template  
NHS Employers have now  published the final template in word and excel for practices to use when reporting progress on the remote care monitoring directed enhanced service. GPC continue to believe the scheme is simply too bureaucratic and that practices need carefully consider how worthwhile it is for them and their patients before they participate.

NHS Litigation Authority Dispute Resolution Guidance Note
This useful guidance document provides advice on how to make an application for dispute resolution to the NHSLA. Practices should escalate contractual disputes to the NHSLA’s Family Health Services Appeals Unit (FHSAU) if all local dispute resolution procedures have been exhausted and no satisfactory outcome can be agreed by all parties.

Primary Medical Services Assurance Management Framework
You should have received a raft of letters and policies from NHS England Area Teams about the NHS England primary medical assurance management framework. The framework involves the use of a web interface that is being shared with practices. The interface includes data based on some high level indicators and outcome standards – the General Practice High Level Indicators (GPHLIs) and General Practice Outcome Standards (GPOS). The information on the interface relates to every practice in England, and the intention is to allow comparisons with local practices within the CCG or Area Team and also to practices with similar demographics. This has been developed on the basis of work previously undertaken by NHS London, who worked in collaboration with Londonwide LMCs.

As part of this process, practices will be asked to submit an annual self-declaration using the web interface. The declaration will commence in September, and practices will be notified when the submission is open for completion. The policies, web interface and practice declaration have been discussed with GPC representatives and a group of LMC secretaries and some of their content has been changed as a result of these discussions. Concerns still remain about this process, including how the information on the web interface might be used in the future and the GPC are continuing to try and minimise that risk through their engagement. 

Multi-Compartment Compliance Aids (MCA) (also known as Monitored Dosage Systems
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has published a report: Improving patient outcomes: The better use of multi-compartment compliance aids which includes guidance and recommendations for health and social care professionals. Most GPs and community pharmacists have experienced demands for multi-compartment compliance aids from patients, their relatives and social care workers, to assist patients to use their medicines correctly.  Following such demands there has often been little reflection as to whether that intervention improves patient outcomes – and the MCAs have been supplied almost on-demand.

RPS has considered the evidence base, which indicates that MCAs are not a panacea for medicines use, and that they should not automatically be the intervention of choice for all patients.  Not all medicines are suitable for inclusion in MCAs and health and social care professionals should recognise that re-packaging medication from the manufacturer’s original packaging may often be unlicensed and involves risks and responsibility for the decisions made.

Reminder, Stamp Duty Land Tax
Stamp Duty Land Tax is payable on transactions relating to UK land and buildings.  The GPC has now received updated legal advice (available to BMA members only) on SDLT and its application to GP practices. Although not all transactions involving GPs will be liable for SDLT, it is likely that it will affect an increasing number of GP partnerships in the future, due to the numbers of practices occupying leasehold premises. Before signing or altering lease terms, practices are strongly advised to obtain independent financial advice on potential liabilities for SDLT for any premises transactions. Further information on SDLT can be found on the HMRC website.