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GP-led health centres and new GP practices

In October 2007, Lord Darzi published the interim report of the NHS Next Stage Review (England only), which announced a number of immediate recommendations, including the establishment of 1 new GP-led health centre per PCT and a minimum of 100 new GP practices in under-doctored areas/PCTs.

In December 2007, the Department of Health launched the ‘Equitable access to primary medical care services’ scheme, accompanied by a new access fund of £250 million.

In January 2008, the Department confirmed that 113 new practices were to be procured across 50 PCTs in England; each of these PCTs will procure between 1 and 3 new practices.

Some funding for the health centres will be included in PCTs’ overall allocations: £45 million in 2008-09 and £120 million in 2009-10 onwards. Funding for the GP practices will be based on a fixed-rate allocation for each practice, although there has so far been no mention of the level of funding from 2011-12 onwards.

The Department of Health expects to see staggered commencement of the new services from December 2008 onwards, with some ‘front-runner’ services starting before then.

PCTs have been advised by the Department that they will ‘typically’ use the Alternative Provider Medical Services (APMS) contracting route for the new procurements.

Read detailed BMA guidance on the procurements.

The BMA’s General Practitioners Committee has written to the Department of Health both to outline its concerns over and seek clarification on the procurement proposals. To read these letters, go to the ‘National’ section.

The BMA launched its ‘Support your surgery’ campaign on 8 May 2008, which defends and promotes NHS GP services in England. As part of this campaign, all GP practices received a pack containing posters, leaflets and stickers to help them inform the public about local plans for GP-led health centres. GP practices were encouraged to ask their patients to sign a petition in support of their local surgery. The petition with over 1.2 million signatures was presented to Downing Street in June. Read the BMA press release.

Find out more about the campaign.