GP Contract

The GP contract hub page provides information, guidance and links to further resources to support the implementation of changes to the 2024/25 GP Contract that will apply in England.

Legislation underpinning the GP Contract

A number of legal documents, published by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), formally underpin the GP contract.

The Statement of Financial Entitlements (SFE) sets out payment terms for General Medical Services (GMS) contractors, which should also be replicated for local Personal Medical Services (PMS) and Alternative Provider Medical Services (APMS) contractors. The SFE Directions 2024 sets out updated terms from 1st April 2024.

The Primary Medical Services Directed Enhanced Services Directions 2024 sets out the requirements for GMS and PMS contractors choosing to provide Directed Enhanced Services, including the Network Contract DES, from 1st April 2024.

The GMS Regulations, PMS Regulations and Alternative Provider Medical Services (APMS) Directions set out the most recent contractual amendments for GMS, PMS and APMS.

General Practice Contract Arrangements 2024/25

Letter from Dr Amanda Doyle, National Director for Primary Care and Community Services, providing information on arrangements for the 2024/25 GP contract.

GP Contract 2024/25 financial information

The links below provide all financial information for the 2024/25 GP contract:

Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service (DES)

This page contains all the information for the 2024/25 Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service (DES).

Seasonal influenza service specifications and collaboration agreement

The links below provide information on the 2024/25 seasonal influenza vaccination programmes:

General practice vaccination and immunisation services: standards and core contractual requirements

This document outlines in more detail the Vaccination and Immunisation Standards and core contractual requirements as set out in the GMS Regulations:

Quality and outcomes framework (QOF) guidance for 2024/25

The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) guidance for 2024/25 can be found at the link below:

Weight Management Enhanced Service 2024/25

The service specification for the 2024/25 Weight Management Enhanced Service can be found at the link below:

GP contract documents from previous years:

Responding to concerns

NHS England has a statutory responsibility to respond to concerns raised about a GP, dentist or ophthalmic performer on the National Performers Lists.

The Professional Standards team provide advice, guidance and training to regional teams in accordance with their statutory functions and the NHS England Policy on managing the NHS Performers Lists.

The framework can be found here – Policy on managing the NHS Performers Lists.

Performers List Amendments – Locally Employed Doctors

The 2024 Statutory Instrument number 575 came into effect on 27 May 2024 and amends the NHS (England) (Performers Lists) Regulations 2013, as previously amended and The NHS (GMS Contracts) Regulations 2015 and The NHS (PMS Agreements) Regulations 2015. The effect of this legislation is that doctors whose name is included on the GMC register (this includes doctors in training in any speciality and doctors who have been unsuccessful in passing their CCT) and are employed or connected to a designated body under Schedule, Part 1 of the Medical Profession (Responsible Officers) Regulation 2010 in England and Wales (this provision excludes doctors connected or registered with a designated body in Schedule, Part 1 in Scotland and Northern Ireland) will be able to deliver primary care services without being included on the England Medical Performers List. The bodies listed in Part 1 include but are not limited to national commissioning and oversight organisations, including NHS England, NHS Trusts and NHS Foundation Trusts.

The amendments to the regulations will permit primary care providers to employ doctors who are not GPs to deliver primary medical services under the terms of their contracts.  Primary care providers will need to ensure that the doctors that they employ are competent to undertake the role that they are appointed to. Primary care providers will also need to ensure that they provide appropriate supervision, support (and induction) plans to enable them to work safely. They will also be responsible for undertaking appropriate recruitment checks including DBS and GMC registration and right to work. Other checks such as occupational health clearance and BLS may also be required (information transfer using ESR or digital staff passporting methods are not available within primary care – recruitment checks may not be required if the designated body and doctor agree to another form of information sharing between the two parties).

In the event that the primary care provider has concerns about the doctor’s performance, it will be for them to manage the concern in line with their own HR policy as they would with any other member of staff.  Critically they will need to keep the doctor’s Responsible Officer (RO) informed of the concern and the action being taken together and, in due course, they may be required to share information as this may affect what, if any further action the doctor’s RO takes.

Under the terms of the primary medical care contract for services, doctors whose name is included on the GMC Register and the GP Register are still required to be included on the England Medical Performers List before they deliver primary care services.