Procurement, Choice & Competition Regulations
The Procurement, Choice and Competition Regulations have been rewritten and laid under Section 75 of the Health and Social Care Act. This BMA briefing provides more information about the regulations. The Government maintains that the Section 75 regulations are intended to ‘ensure good procurement practice’. However, the BMA is only one of a wide range of organisations who have expressed serious concerns that the regulations are unduly restrictive and will, in effect, mean that CCGs and other commissioners will be required to use competitive tendering when contracting for the vast majority of services. The GPC was of the view that the rewritten regulations offer little to assuage these concerns. In particular, there is a worrying lack of clarity for commissioners about the circumstances in which competition does not have to be used. The committee therefore resolved that it opposed and called for the withdrawal of statutory instrument 2013/500. We will forward the GPC guidance on procurement as soon as it has been updated in the light of the new legislation.

Prescribing in General Practice Guidance
The GPC has updated its Prescribing in General Practice Guidance, to include new and updated guidance on medicine shortages, the transcribing of medication directions, the use of multi-compartment compliance aids (previously referred to as Medidose or Dosette boxes) and supplementary and independent prescribers. Please note that this guidance replaces the Information and guidance for prescribing in general practice from 2004.

Injury Benefit Scheme
Ensure you are aware of the changes to the NHS Injury Benefit Scheme, which currently provides for the payment of either a Temporary Injury Allowance (TIA) or a Permanent Injury Benefit (PIB) and is being removed on 31 March 2013.

Locum Employer’s Pension Contributions Guidance
This guidance on the change in locum superannuation/employer’s pension contributions offer further advice for practices and locums.

Information Commissioners Office (ICO) Advisory Visits to GP Practices
The ICO is the UK’s independent regulator of the Data Protection Act and is offering ‘advisory visits’ to GP practices. The purpose of these visits is to provide practices with specific, tailored data protection advice. It is a free service and practices are legally protected against being penalised for anything discovered by the ICO during the visit. These are one day visits to help organisations develop good practice and identify areas of potential improvement. They may also provide practical recommendations and advice on data security and records management. Practices will be provided with an informative follow-up report to showing any next steps to take. Further information, can be found on the ICO’s website, including details on what the sessions cover, what the follow-up reports can contain, and how you can request a visit.

GPC Annual Report 2013
The 2013 GPC Annual Report – written before the publication of the latest DDRB report and the details of the GP contract for 2013/14 – is available.

Trevor Silver Memorial Essay Prize
Are you interested in primary care musculoskeletal medicine? If so, you may be interested in the Trevor Silver Memorial Essay Prize. It is open to all GPs and GP trainees registered in the UK.