The British Medical Association has expressed its anger over an imposed contract for GPs in England for 2023-24 that ‘does nothing to support general practice’.

GP leaders rejected an ‘insulting’ contract offer in April, saying it did nothing to help practices struggling with sharp increases in costs and working under intense pressure. After talks between the two sides collapsed, NHS England published details on March 6 of the contract to be imposed for the coming financial year.

Next year is the final year of a 5-year framework agreement for GPs. In an e-mail sent to GP practices, Dr Kieran Sharrock, acting chair of GPC England, said: “It is particularly frustrating that the government has insisted on sticking to the financial uplifts set out in the ‘five-year framework’ agreed in 2019 (allowing for a 2.1 per cent pay uplift for all GPs, practice staff and practice expenses) despite the extreme change in economic circumstances that have seen a massive inflationary spike over the last 12 months, and significant increases in workload since the pandemic.”

There is a strong emphasis on improving patient access in next year’s contract. Some £246 million in the Investment and Impact Fund (IIF) will be focussed on improving patients’ experience when contacting their practice. The GP contract will be updated to make clear that patients should be offered an assessment of need, or signposted to an appropriate service, at first contact with the practice.

Elsewhere the number of indicators in the IIF will be reduced from 36 to five (worth £59 million) and focus on key national priorities including flu vaccinations, learning disability health checks, early cancer diagnosis and 2-week access indicator.

The quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) is being streamlined with the number of indicators dropping from 74 to 55.

NHSE is to review the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) next year, but has assured practices and PCNs that staff employed under the scheme will be considered part of the core general practice cost base after March 2024.