GP Contract documentation 2020/21

This page sets out guidance and links to further resources to support implementation of changes to General Medical Services (GMS) contractual arrangements that will apply in England in 2020/21.

NHS England Enhanced Service Specifications

These enhanced service specifications outline more specialised services and those additional services provided by all General Medical Services (GMS) practices.

Update to the GP contract deal: 2020/21-2023/24

NHS England and NHS Improvement and the BMA have agreed and jointly published an “Update to the GP contract agreement 2020/21 to 2023/24”. This agreement updates and enhances the existing five-year GP contract deal: Investment and Evolution.  

The main features of the agreement include:

  • Major enhancements to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme to help secure 26,000 additional staff
  • A raft of measures to aid GP recruitment and retention to help deliver 6000 more doctors working in primary care
  • Improvements in access for patients: More people working in general practice will help achieve 50 million more appointments in general practice
  • Further improvements to the Quality and Outcomes Framework
  • Reforms to vaccinations and immunisations payment arrangements to improve vaccination coverage
  • A new universal 6-8 week post-natal check for new mothers
  • Three new services in 20/21: Structured Medication Review and Medicines Optimisation, Enhanced Health in Care Homes and Supporting Early Cancer Diagnosis service.
  • New incentives under the Investment and Impact Fund to increase uptake of learning disability health checks, seasonal flu jabs, social prescribing referrals, and improve specific aspects of prescribing.

Read: Freeing up practices to support COVID vaccination – further details: Published 3 February 2021

Read: Update to the GP contract agreement 2020/21 to 2023/24

Read: NHS England Letter – February 2020

Read about changes to the GP contracts from 1 October 2020

Claiming reimbursement for reasonable additional costs for flu delivery

National Seasonal Influenza Immunisation Programme 2020/21: primary care frequently asked questions

Update to the GP contract agreement: 2020/21-2023/24: Financial implications

This letter provides further details of the financial implications of the Update to the GP contract agreement: 2020/21-2023/24 including:
  • additional funding allocations
  • funding the costs of other contract increases
  • enhancements to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme.

This letter provides an update on the new GP payment system GP payment changes letter – 16 September 2020

Statement of Financial Entitlements and Directed Enhanced Services Directions

Legislation underpinning the GP Contract

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

The Statement of Financial Entitlements (SFE) sets out payment conditions for General Medical Services contractors, which are replicated by commissioners for local Primary Medical Services (PMS) and Alternative Provider Medical Services (APMS) contractors. The SFE (Amendment 2) Directions 2020 sets out updated terms from 1 April 2020.

The Primary Medical Services (Directed Enhanced Services) Directions 2020 sets out the requirements for contractors choosing to provide Directed Enhanced Services, including the Primary Care Network DES, from 1 April 2020.

The NHS (GMS Contracts) Regulations, NHS (PMS Agreements) Regulations and Alternative Provider Medical Services (APMS) Directions set out the most recent contractual amendments for GMS, PMS and APMS contractors from 1 April 2020.

In addition the NHS (Amendments Relating to the Provision of Primary Care Services During a Pandemic etc) Regulations 2020 give NHS England the power, with the agreement of the Secretary of State, to temporarily suspend certain parts of the GP contract to assist in management of the Covid-19 outbreak. Details of any contract suspension are on our COVID-19 update for general practice page.

Primary Care Networks additional roles reimbursement scheme: Update to Commissioners

Standard contract documentation

General Medical Services Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF)

General Medical Services Quality and Outcomes Framework 20/21

We have published a letter and guidance which detail the revised QOF requirements for 2020/21, including information about the:

  • increased points and amended payment terms for flu vaccination and cervical screening indicators
  • indicators which will be paid on an achievement basis
  • indicators and points which will be subject to income protection arrangements and the conditions upon this income protection
  • revised quality improvement (QI) requirements for the 2020/21 modules: early cancer diagnosis and care of people with a learning disability.

The QOF guidance replaces the QI topic guidance published earlier this year although this is still available on the website as a further resource for practices:

The letter also sets out the revised requirements for the Dispensing Services Quality Scheme – which is relevant for dispensing practices only.

Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service 2020/21