The 2018/19 year is the third year for the GP Resilience Programme and guidance for this year is only slightly different to the 2017/18 guidance. The guidance provides a framework for NHS England local teams to work with key stakeholders, ensuring there is local flexibility and ownership in the implementation of the programme.

The guidance sets out the criteria to ensure that support is managed consistently while also giving local teams the flexibility to meet local needs. The guidance also describes the menu of support that should be offered subject to locally assessed needs.

We are committed to supporting practices over the long term in order to ensure that they are better placed to tackle the challenges they face now and into the future. With this in mind, the guidance allows local teams to identify practices for continued support while also allowing the flexibility for practices which have not previously received funding under the programme to be identified and supported.

While local teams can identify practices for support, a new addition to the guidance is a template to support practices to self-refer/enquire about support. This will make it easier for practices to actively seek support, should they wish. Once the template is completed, it can be referred to local teams as detailed below.

• Annex B – Self-referral/inquiry template
• Annex C – National Criteria
• Annex D – Memorandum of Understanding

All funding is allocated to NHS England’s Direct Commissioning Teams (sometimes called “local teams”) who are responsible for working locally with Clinical Commissioning Groups and Local Medical Committees to determine the nature of the support, securing the support and selecting which practices are to be prioritised for support ensuring it is targeted to practices or localities in greatest need.

NHS England local teams delivered support to over 2,000 practices in the first year of the programme, including diagnostic assessments and practical advice and help to secure agreed improvements. In the second year almost 3,000 practices were supported. Although 2018/19 is the third year of a four-year programme and, it’s not too late for practices wanting support to be considered.

Following the first and second years of the programme, several resources have been developed by local teams and supporting partners. These include diagnostic tools produced by Wessex LMC.

GP practices should contact their NHS England local office for more information as early as possible to discuss support.

North Region

Midlands & East Region

London Region

South West Region

South East Region

View the template Memorandum of Understanding (17/18 version) which is the outline agreement for practices taking up support.

Other relevant programmes of support

In addition to the General Practice Resilience Programme, there are other national programmes currently offering support to GP practices and GPs (including trainee GPs).

• RCGP Peer Support Programme provided improvement support to practices entering CQC special measures following their first inspection visit. This programme was extended to October 2017, but is no longer accepting new referrals as funding has expired.
• GP Health Service– providing support and treatment for GPs with mental ill health and addiction issues.