The BMA is still in discussions with NHS England about including practice managers in the £20,000 ‘new to partnership’ payment scheme, our sister publication, Pulse, has learned.
It comes as NHS England seemed to have u-turned after initially stating staff including practice managers would be included in the scheme.
But as the scheme is due to launch today, NHS England guidance said that to be eligible for the scheme, the new partner has to be a healthcare professional who will deliver a minimum of two clinical sessions per week.
NHS England medical director for primary care Dr Nikki Kanani told Pulse when the scheme was announced in February: ‘We want to commit to the partnership model in a way that is really very clear, so we offer, for the first time, £20,000 for all people coming newly into partnership – whether that is a GP or it might be our nurse colleagues or practice managers – £20,000 to support them coming into general practice and taking up a partnership as new members of a partner team.’
Asked today about the discrepancy, BMA GP Committee chair Dr Richard Vautrey told Pulse: ‘We are still exploring the potential of including practice managers but did not want to delay the release of the wider proposals whilst we do this.’
Pulse has approached NHS England for comment.
