The National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts and Personal Medical Services Agreements) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2020

New regulation 67H

4.  After regulation 67G (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency Central Alerting System)(1), insert—

“Collection of data relating to appointments in general practice

67H.— (1) A contractor must participate in the collection of anonymised data relating to appointments for its registered patients (“GP practice data”) in accordance with the “GP Appointments Data Collection in Support of Winter Pressures”(2) referred to in the Health and Social Care Information Centre (Establishment of Information Systems for NHS Services: General Practice Appointments Data Collection in Support of Winter Pressures) Directions 2017(3).

(2) The contractor must ensure that all GP practice data relating to the provision of primary medical services under its contract is recorded within the appointment book in accordance with the guidance(4).

(3) The contractor must ensure that the GP practice data is uploaded onto its computerised clinical systems and available for collection by the Health and Social Care Information Centre(5) at such intervals during each financial year as notified to the contractor by the Health and Social Care Centre.

(4) For the purposes of this regulation, “appointment book” means a capability provided by the contractor’s computerised clinical systems and software supplier which supports the administration, scheduling, resourcing and reporting of appointments.”.

(1)

Inserted by S.I. 2019/1137.

(2)

Originally introduced in support of winter pressures and still referred to that way. NHS Digital: https://digital.nhs.uk/about-nhs-digital/corporate-information-and-documents/directions-and-data-provision-notices/data-provision-notices-dpns/gp-appointments-data-collection-in-support-of-winter-pressures-version-2. Hard copies can be obtained by post from NHS Digital, 1 Trevelyan Square, Boar Lane, Leeds LS1 6AE.

(3)

The Health and Social Care Information Centre (Establishment of Information Systems for NHS Services: General Practice Appointments Data Collection in Support of Winter Pressures) Directions 2017, which were signed on 15th September 2017, are made under section 254 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c.7). See: https://digital.nhs.uk/about-nhs-digital/corporate-information-and-documents/directions-and-data-provision-notices/data-provision-notices-dpns/gp-appointments-data-collection-in-support-of-winter-pressures-version-2, or hard copies may be obtained by post from NHS Digital, 1 Trevelyan Square, Boar Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS1 6AE.

(4)

The guidance entitled “More accurate General Practice appointment data” can be found at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/more-accurate-general-practice-appointment-data-guidance/ or hard copies can be obtained by post from Primary Care Strategy and NHS Contracts Group, NHS England, Area 2D, Skipton House, 80 London Road, London SE1 6HL.

(5)

The Health and Social Care Information Centre (known as NHS Digital) is a body corporate established under section 252(1) of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c.7).