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NHS England engagement: Have your say on digital-first primary care and its implications for general practice payments

Communication from NHS England:

Digital systems will be integral to a modern, efficient and responsive health service. Well-designed digital tools are already helping to provide care and services that are convenient for patients, efficient for the NHS and which get people the right care for them as quickly as possible.

However, we face a challenge to ensure that the way we commission, contract and pay for care keeps up with the opportunities digital innovation offers - ensuring that new technology is safely integrated into health and care pathways, whilst not unfairly destabilising existing services.

With fair payments in mind, NHS England has reviewed the implications of digital models and is seeking your views.

Our analysis concludes that there are a number of ways in which the payments for general practice may need to be updated to account for the emergence of digital-first innovative primary care providers, related to:

• The rurality index payment;
• The London adjustment; and
• A reduction in the payment to practices for patients who live outside of the practice catchment area.

We are also seeking wider views about how general practice payment models can best support innovation.

It is important to recognise that this is a first step, informed by the evidence available. As our understanding of new delivery models evolves and matures further action may be necessary.

Further information about the proposals are available in the document we have published to support this public engagement.

The outcome of this engagement will inform GP contract negotiations for 2019 - 2020 between NHS England and the General Practitioners Committee of the British Medical Association.

Link to the online survey