Briefing on GP Contract 2022/23 - message from Dr Michelle Drage
Thursday 10 March 2022
Dear Colleagues,
Briefing on GP Contract 2022/23
As you will now be aware, despite lengthy negotiation no agreement was reached on changes to the national contract for 2022/23. Negotiations between NHS England and GPC England were part of the five year ‘deal’ agreed in 2019 and on 1 April we will enter year four of that deal. Despite the challenges we have all faced over the past two years there has been no willingness from government, or its agency NHS England, with whom the GPC negotiates, to address any of the severe issues for GPs that have arisen during the pandemic - for them it is as if nothing has happened. A five year deal is a five year deal. And so the contract has been amended and imposed on the profession. You can see our comments and thoughts on the measures contained in the new contract update here:
This contract update has been forced on general practice despite the unparalleled success of the Covid vaccination programme; record-breaking appointments being delivered to patients; extraordinary workforce constraints, and workload concerns. Similarly global events and the stress of the current geopolitical threat resulting in migrants and asylum seekers reaching our shores in need of general practice care have not led to any change in approach.
In recent weeks we have seen an increase in GP-bashing in the media. One article in particular in the Sunday Times (not one of the usual suspects) has increased anxiety amongst our colleagues with bold statements about vertical integration and the future of general practice. Whether this is an innocent article, albeit raising the prospect of an existential threat to general practice as we know it (not just the partnership model, but the very philosophy of continuity care, holistic, relational and longitudinal), or kite flying and deliberate dis-information designed to make us feel threatened, there is a pattern developing of public facing messaging framing GPs as indolent, incompetent, or inconvenient.
The same week we saw NHS England unilaterally impose contract changes on general practice, right-leaning think tank Policy Exchange published a new report with a proposal to reform general practice and enable digital healthcare at scale, challenging the independent contractor model. It is unclear whether this represents Secretary of State for Health, Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP's “Independent Review of General Practice”, but Mr Javid wrote a warm foreword. Time will tell whether this is an innocent albeit “wonky” kite, or a vision of things to come. You decide. Both are nasty.
Regardless of what Ministers, think tanks or commentators think, one thing is clear: your elected LMC members are here to represent you and the Londonwide team are on your side. Please continue to let us know your thoughts on what this means for you, your practice, and your profession.
With best wishes
Dr Michelle Drage MBBS FRCGP
CEO, Londonwide LMCs
Recommended codes for vaccinations (12 Apr 2018)
Childhood vaccination coding can be unexpectedly complex there are just 26 pre-school and school age vaccinations, but practices can record these vaccinations using over 1,000 different codes. Data export providers,...LEAD events May and June 2018 (12 Apr 2018)
Hold the date: our annual Practice Manager Conference will take place on Thursday 22 November 2018 at Woburn House Conference Centre. The following events are now available for online booking....Stand. Vote. Engage. The 2018 LMC elections (12 Apr 2018)
Nomination papers for this year’s LMC elections were sent out in the week beginning 30 April 2018. This year every LMC seat is up for election. We want any GP...Concerns about coroners issues (21 Mar 2018)
In response to concerns raised regarding GP relationships with the coroners’ office, we recently requested examples of problems experienced by GPs and practice staff. Examples provided so far include: ...Londonwide LMCs' March 2018 newsletter (21 Mar 2018)
GMC requests for evidence of English language competence (20 Mar 2018)
The House of Commons Library has release updated guidance on what documentation the GMC will accept as evidence that GPs, nurses and pharmacists have sufficient English language skills. These controls...LMC elections – join us in May to learn about what is involved in being an LMC member (20 Mar 2018)
This year every LMC seat is up for election and next month you will have a chance to stand for election to your LMC. Any GP working in one of...NHS Digital questioned on Home Office data sharing (20 Mar 2018)
On Thursday 15 March the Health and Social Care Select Committee took evidence from Sarah Wilkinson, Chief Executive Officer, NHS Digital; and Noel Gordon, Chair, NHS Digital on data sharing. ...UK LMC Conference 2018 round-up (20 Mar 2018)
This year's LMC Conference saw debate on a range of issues of concern to London GPs: from Bawa-Garbar and the use of written reflections, to mass resignations, workload management, and...Sign-up to our new Buying Group and win an Amazon Kindle Fire tablet (20 Mar 2018)
Any practice who signs-up to our new Buying Group before 12:00 Wednesday 2 May (end of the morning break during our conference) will be entered in a draw to win...Guidance
We provide expert guidance for practices in our guidance section, as well as an archive of other materials you may find useful.
GP Support
Contact our GP Support team if you need help or advice.
The team provide professional and pastoral support to GPs and practice teams on a broad range of issues.