2020/21 NHS Standard Contract

NHS contracting and payment during 2020/21

Contracting and finance guidance to cover the third phase of the NHS Response to COVID-19 in more detail has been published. This guidance sets out the key principles of the financial framework for the NHS for the period 1 October 2020 to 31 March 2021.

2020/21 NHS Standard Contract – final version

The NHS Standard Contract is mandated by NHS England for use by commissioners for all contracts for healthcare services other than primary care.

The Contract (in full-length and shorter-form versions) has now been updated for 2020/21. A summary of the changes we have made to the Contracts can be found in section 3 of the NHS Standard Contract Technical Guidance and in the Response to Consultation Feedback document. The final versions of the Contract are available here:

If you have a query on the NHS Standard Contracts, please email: nhscb.contractshelp@nhs.net

If you would like to be added to our stakeholder list to receive updates on the NHS Standard Contracts, please email your contact details to: england.contractsengagement@nhs.net

eContract

The eContract system has been updated in line with the 2020/21 Contracts and is now available.

The eContract system hosts both the full-length and shorter-form Contracts and allows tailoring of the contract to reflect the specific services provided, so that only the relevant Service Conditions and Schedules appear. We strongly recommend that commissioners and providers utilise the eContract system.

If you have a query on the eContract system, please email: england.econtract@nhs.net

System Collaboration and Financial Management Agreement (SCFMA)

We have included a new requirement in the 2020/21 Contract for CCGs and Trusts within each local ICS/STP to agree and operate under a collaborative document, aimed at ensuring that they work together to deliver the system financial improvement trajectory for 2020/21. We have published a revised model version of this System Collaboration and Financial Management Agreement (SCFMA). This is not a mandatory template; local systems are encouraged to use it as a starting point but may adapt the content as appropriate. Further detail is set out in the Contract Technical Guidance.

NHS Standard Contract Technical Guidance

Contract support and other publications

Integrated Care Provider Contract publications

A 2020/21 version of the Integrated Care Provider (ICP) Contract will be published in due course on the ICP web page.  In the meantime, the ICP Contract should be read in light of the changes made to the generic NHS Standard Contract for 20/21, which will, where appropriate, be reflected in the updated ICP Contract when published.

Queries on the ICP Contract may be directed to nhscb.contractshelp@nhs.net.

National Variations to NHS Standard Contracts

Guidance on the process to effect the mandatory 2020/21 National Variation to existing contracts, the terms of which extend beyond 31 March 2020, and the National Variation templates are available below:

Locally-agreed Variations to 2020/21 NHS Standard Contracts

NHS Standard Sub-contract

The NHS standard sub-contract for the provision of clinical services 2020/21 (full length and shorter-form versions) are available below:

Model Collaborative Commissioning Agreements

Fair Deal for Staff Pensions

Provisions Applicable to Primary Medical Services (updated March 2020)

NOTE: existing contracts incorporating Schedule 2L provisions should be varied to incorporate these updated provisions, tailored and populated locally in accordance with the explanatory note.

Proforma Contract Management Forms and Change in Control Notification

Awareness raising

Audio presentations are available here.

Presentations (slide pack only)

Changes to the Contract for 2020/21

Comparison documents showing the changes made from the NHS Standard Contract 2019/20 (published in March 2019) to the NHS Standard Contract 2020/21 (published in March 2020) are available.

Comparison documents showing the changes made from the draft NHS Standard Contract 2020/21 (published for consultation in December 2019) to the NHS Standard Contract 2020/21 (published in March 2020/21) are available.

Consultation – December 2019 (now closed)

We have now published, for consultation, the draft 2020/21 NHS Standard Contract (both full length and shorter-form versions). The consultation paper below describes the main, material changes we are proposing in the Contracts, and we would welcome comments from stakeholders on our proposals. We also welcome comments on the draft Technical Guidance.

Comments on the draft Contract should be submitted by 31 January 2020 via the NHS England Consultation Hub. The link to the consultation will be published here shortly. Comments may also be submitted by email to england.contractsengagement@nhs.net, using the response document below.

Full length – consultation version

Shorter form – consultation version

Guidance

System Collaboration and Financial Management Agreement

As described in the Contract consultation document, we propose to include a new requirement in the 2020/21 Contract for CCGs and Trusts within each local ICS/STP to agree and operate under a collaborative document, aimed at ensuring that they work together to deliver the system financial improvement trajectory for 2020/21. We have published a draft model version of this System Collaboration and Financial Management Agreement (SCFMA). This is not a mandatory template; local systems are encouraged to use it as a starting point but may adapt the content as appropriate. Further detail is set out in the Contract Technical Guidance above.

We welcome comments on the draft SCFMA, which should be sent by Friday 31 January 2020 to england.contractsengagement@nhs.net.