GP Retainer Scheme
The 2016 Retainer scheme has now been launched. Further details are available here. In terms of the salient points:

• The current sessional rate in the SFEs will be increased from £59.18 to £76.92 (for between 1 and 4 sessions per week).  This translates to essentially the sessional reimbursement increasing from approximately £3000 to £4000 (so a maximum of £16,000 for the practice if the retained GP works 4 sessions).
• The bursary that has been available to the retained GP up till now is around £310 annual payment, irrespective of how many sessions they do – this will now increase to £1000 per session, so essentially up to £4000 if they work 4 sessions.

These payments will be available to current GPs on the scheme as well as for new GPs.  The increased funding is available up till 30 June 2019. During this time a review of the retained doctors scheme will take place to, hopefully, make improvements on the 2016 scheme.

GP Indemnity Cost Support
NHS England has announced a new GP indemnity support scheme starting in 2016/17, to provide a payment to practices to offset average indemnity inflation. The scheme will initially run for two years before being reviewed.

GP Resilience Programme
NHS England has now published their guidance on the £40m Practice Resilience Programme. The guidance states that funding allocations for the programme in 2016/17 will be made to local teams by the end of July 2016. Annex A provides details of the allocations for each local team. GPC and the GPFV LMC reference group have emphasised to NHS England the vital role of LMCs in this programme, working with practices and local teams to ensure support is delivered where needed. The guidance commits local teams to working with LMCs in tailoring and delivering the support. The key forthcoming milestones for the programme are in section 8.

Focus on MCP Emerging Care Model and Contract Framework
The GPC has provided this Focus on the MCP emerging care model and contract framework which NHS England published yesterday.

Revised Guidance on Firearms
The GPC has provided this revised position and guidance on the firearms licensing process developed in light of the new policy passed at the Local Medical Committee’s Conference and ARM seeking further action and change. The Home Office has also been kept informed and GPC will continue to engage with them on seeking improvements to the current process.

Safeguarding Guidance
AS you are aware, since the loss of the PCTs there has been some difficulties in obtaining collaborative arrangement payments for safeguarding with our commissioners maintaining the position that GPs would need to justify non-compliance with regard to their statutory safeguarding duties if a report was not submitted and that non-compliance could justify a referral to the GMC with the implication that disciplinary action could be taken against defaulting GPs. It has always been our view that GPs should provide safeguarding services but that there should be payment as the provision by GPs of the relevant safeguarding services falls outside the scope of the range of essential, additional or enhanced services provided for in parts 8 – 12 of the standard GMS contract. Clause 19.1.2 (a) of the GMS contract specifically permits the contractor to demand or accept a fee or other remuneration ‘from any statutory body for services rendered for the purposes of that body’s statutory functions’. However, Tees practices are no longer being paid for this work.

GPC has taken up this issue and is continuing to discuss with NHS England how this situation can be best resolved; it forms part of the ‘Urgent prescription for General Practice’ published earlier this year. They have emphasised that a fee is needed to cover the costs of the workload done and to ensure the practice has the capacity to do this work properly. Failing to fund this area of work leads to poorer quality services and local authorities should not be making cost cutting efficiencies in an important area such as the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults. GPC has obtained external legal advice on the issue, in which they asked for a view on the best way forward if it was not possible to reach a resolution through negotiation with NHS England. GPC’s position, having taken such advice, is that GPs do have an obligation to comply with their statutory safeguarding duties, but equally that they are entitled to a fee. GPC’s advice is, therefore, to provide the relevant services, but on the basis that a fee will be sought for the same, indicating the rate of charge ahead of the provision of the report or attendance at the case conference as the case maybe. The commissioner of the service would be notified that acceptance of such services will be treated as signifying a willingness to engage the GP on the stipulated terms. In the event of non-payment a claim for the fee could then be pursued.

Specialist Prescribing for Gender Dysphoria
GPC wrote to the GMC challenging their guidance on specialist prescribing for gender dysphoria and are pursuing this further. Additionally, they have written to NHS England, since ultimately, this reflects a failure of commissioning adequate local specialist services for this group of patients, and which NHS England should take responsibility to correct. GPC are also contesting NHS England’s own recommendations on GP prescribing for gender dysphoria and which has been used as a basis for the GMC guidance. GPC has also written to the three main MDOs, for their advice on any indemnity implications for GPs prescribing such specialist prescriptions which falls outside their competence.

Arrangements Childhoods Flu Immunisations
This letter outlines the arrangements for childhood flu vaccination across Cumbria and the North East for 2016/17.

Sessional GP Newsletter
The July edition of the sessional GPs e-newsletter includes a message from the new Chair, Zoe Norris, introducing herself and setting out what matters to her and the emphasis she places on effective two way communication. There is also a message from Vicky Weeks, the outgoing Chair, about the subcommittee’s achievements and biggest challenges. Faisel Baig writes about salaried GPs contracts and Paula Wright sets out how locums can offer hope to general practice. The e-newsletter also covers new FAQs on locum chambers.

PCSE Relocation
PCSE are relocating all the services currently delivered by our Darlington PCSE office. Our Darlington office delivers:

• GP payments and pensions
• Pharmacy payments
• Screening administration support
• Assistance with Open Exeter
• Registrations
• Subject Access Requests

From 18 August 2016, service users who currently use the Darlington office should contact us using the following details:

Generic email: PCSE.enquiries@nhs.net
Screening email: PCSE.screening-leeds@nhs.net
Phone: 0333 014 2884
Web: pcse.england.nhs.uk/
PO Box: Primary Care Support England, PO Box 350, Darlington, DL1 9QN

Any post, including applications, claim forms, returns or cheques posted to PCSE, should be sent to the Darlington address above, which is a secure storage and distribution facility.  If practices would like to courier any documents to us, they should email PCSE.enquiries@nhs.net for the details, as there’s a separate address for courier firms to use. There are no changes to payment dates.