It’s the start of the new financial year and this means that the NHS GP contract for 2024/2025 is being put in place. While the principle changes are centred around cutting bureaucracy, improving flexibility – financial and staffing flexibility – and improving access and patient experience, the contract has been met with widespread criticism.
99% of BMA members voted overwhelmingly to reject the government changes to their contract and will likely take industrial action based on the fact that the new GP Contract 2024/25 doesn’t go far enough to support practices with the resources they badly need.
It is likely the extra funds allocated in the contract will only cover extra patients from population growth and won’t increase the average payment practices receive per patient, meaning funding, when you take inflation into account, is not increasing. With only 1.9% funding uplift for 2024/25, the stability and sustainability of general practice is at risk.
Lyndsey Reeves, Director of UK Operations at Livi, says: “Primary Care has met the details of the new GP contract with frustration. It would appear that it lacks the funding, the elements of true transformation and long-term strategy in order for PCNs to be successful in overcoming the challenges they face.”
Enhancing access and improving capacity will become more of a challenge for PCNs who are looking to increasingly do more with less. Now more than ever, digital clinical resources combined with digital tools can be mobilised to support practice teams with additional appointments, patient communication and offer a flexible workforce when practices are understaffed.
Lyndsey continues: “Livi is focussed on the challenges PCNs face and offering the support needed for them to be successful. For example, Livi’s communication tools such as website provision and MJog patient messaging, together with clinical services, could help PCNs to deliver against the Access Recovery Plan, addressing areas such as empowering patients, increasing capacity and reducing bureaucracy. Digital healthcare providers are uniquely placed to align with PCNs to complement and enhance high quality clinical care, which is ultimately the goal. But we need to see consistent funding to scale digital effectively.”
Jamie Griffin, Head of NHS partnerships at Livi, believes partnerships between the NHS and the private sector should now be a consideration to improving patient access and health outcomes.
“Funding has been tight across all of primary care for the last few years and the new GP Contract will make it even harder for GP practices to cover their costs. It is the responsibility of the digital health leaders in primary care, like Livi, to offer practical, affordable and valuable services to help NHS partners.
“Our aim is to provide every GP practice with additional, easily accessible appointments that are only paid for when used, so that practices know there is an ever-present safety net available should they see short- or long-term workforce issues. For patients this means improved access to appointments, better care provision and improved experiences."
With primary care under pressure, Livi is a leading Virtual Practice Partner. We provide digital clinical capacity (GPs and ACPs) as well as a suite of technology tools that successfully support practices to integrate digital and increase capacity and their efficiency. This includes: digital appointments via video; practice management tools; and patient messaging services.
