Update on successful resolution of first Christmas 2013 breach case

The legal challenge brought against breach notices issued by NHSE to practices who closed their doors on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve in 2013 has ended in a successful conclusion for the first, test case, practice. The practice was one of ten supported by Londonwide after being served with a breach notice in January 2014.

The successful practice has had its breach notice overturned by the Litigation Authority. There are another nine cases to follow unless resolution is reached via other means. Londonwide LMCs has confirmed with NHS England that the remaining breach notices will be lifted providing practices can demonstrate that they had arrangements in place to meet the reasonable needs of patients and the affected practices are being told how to go about this.

Londonwide LMCs, on legal advice from LMC Law, supported practices who were served with breach notices for alleged closures contrary to the regulations and core contracts in 2013 and negotiated payments from the GPDF to cover the cost of the test case.

This demonstrates that practices are, as the regulations clearly state, entitled to put into place measures to "meet the reasonable needs" of patients during this time. As far as determining what measures to deploy, and whether those measures meet the reasonable needs of patients, the choice is down to each individual practice and should be based on careful consideration by both the practice, and by NHS England before the issuing of any breach notice.

Please feel free to discuss and share this information with your local network.

Londonwide LMCs has made representations to NHS England London regarding the holiday period this year and will share NHSE’s advice and our response to it as soon as it becomes available.

In the meantime, NHS England has issued regional teams with a template letter for GP practices regarding Christmas and New Year 2015 and NHS England’s expectations of general practice availability over that period. It is designed to be shared with GP Practices in levels 1 and 2 co-commissioning CCGs only, ie, those providing directly commissioned primary care services (note that the letter is at the bottom of the page when you click on the link).

GPC guidance from previous years should be read in conjunction with the NHS England letter.

GPC advise that the CQC has also issued a mythbuster on opening hours that is worth reading.

Last updated : 11 Nov 2015

 

ICO are chasing all unpaid data protection fees (16 Dec 2019)

The Information Commissioner’s Office launched a campaign on Tuesday 3 December 2019 to contact organisations who have not yet paid their annual data protection fee. The data protection fee...
Read more »

LMC elections 2020 – make sure we have your correct contact details (16 Dec 2019)

Elections take place across our 27 LMCs in 2020. We need to have your up to date contact details in order for you to stand and vote to make your...
Read more »

Help us shape our new website (16 Dec 2019)

We are in the early stages of developing a new website. Please spare 6-10 minutes of your time to complete our online exercise, your feedback will help us to ensure...
Read more »

Supporting doctors with disabilities and long-term conditions (16 Dec 2019)

Dr Hannah Barham-Brown is a GP trainee in Yorkshire and Humber and a disability activist, she is helping to promote the BMA's new survey of doctors who are disabled or...
Read more »

Practice manager conference and networking events (16 Dec 2019)

2019 was another strong year for the events we run to help meet the development needs of practice teams across London. We also continued our work in bringing people together...
Read more »

Information Commissioner’s Office chasing unpaid data protection fees (13 Dec 2019)

The Information Commissioner’s Office launched a campaign on Tuesday 3 December 2019 to contact organisations who have not yet paid their annual data protection fee. The data protection fee...
Read more »

Conference of England LMCs 2019 - resolutions passed (09 Dec 2019)

On 22 November LMC representatives from across England met for the annual Conference of England Local Medical Committees. Three motions were proposed by London LMCs, the full list of motions...
Read more »

Tips of the month November 2019 (20 Nov 2019)

We provide weekly tips based on common queries which come through to us from London GPs and practice teams. These are shared via social media and collated for...
Read more »
Next Page »
« Previous Page