The DES also sets out the new service requirements of anticipatory care and personalised care, the new funding available through the investment and impact fund and requirements around CVD and cancer care.
The biggest change to the DES involves the requirements for enhanced access, many of which have been trailed.
Under the requirements, networks will have to provide 60 minutes’ worth of appointments per 1,000 population within the network, and these will have to be delivered within the hours stipulated – but they won’t have to cover the whole periods.
The service will go live in October, when it will be funded £7.46 per patient pro rata. Until then, networks will receive 72p per patient for the preparatory arrangements.
The DES says: ‘A PCN must ensure GP cover during the Network Standard Hours providing in person face-to-face consultations, remote consultations, leadership, clinical oversight and supervision of the MDT.’
It also confirms that PCNs will have to get plans to commissioners by 31 July, which will set out the mix of services to be provided, how networks will offer appropriate levels of face-to-face appointments and what locations are to be used.
The appointments will be available ‘for any general practice services and services pursuant to the Network Contract DES that are provided to patients, the DES says. It also says that they should be bookable a minimum of two weeks in advance, and that same day appointments should be made available.
A version of this story was first published on our sister title Pulse.
