Area teams have been given six weeks to gather data for a Personal Medical Services (PMS) contract funding review that could strip millions of pounds from the profession.
Yet despite the ‘challenging timetable’, GP leaders remain unconvinced that reviews of PMS deals will be ready by 2014/15.
GP leaders have also claimed that up to £200 million could be lost under plans to equalise funding across PMS and General Medical Services (GMS) contracts.
But the decision on how much could be removed from general practice rests on NHS England’s assessment of PMS practices’ baseline funding.
British Medical Association (BMA) General Practitioners Committee (GPC) negotiator Dr Chaand Nagpaul said: “We find it inexplicable that the government has not been able to resource PMS on equivalent terms to GMS. PMS practices to date are paying locum superannuation in full without the recompense that is going to GMS.
Dr Nagpaul added that the BMA is concerned about the capacity of area teams to undertake PMS reviews following NHS reorganisation.
An NHS England spokeswoman said: “NHS England is undertaking a programme of work over the next few months to ensure that we are in a position to make decisions about applying the principles of equitable funding to PMS contracts and ensuring they continue to deliver best value for 2014/15 and beyond.”
