Swann welcomes 24/25 GP contract

The Department of Health has today announced agreement on the GMS (General Medical Services) contract with GPs for 2024/25.

The contract has been welcomed by Health Minister Robin Swann as an important step towards helping to stabilise GP services.

It will provide GPs with greater certainty over their income throughout the year; reducing administrative burdens and associated costs to practices; and providing dedicated funding to practices for the costs of their indemnity.

Non-core elements of the GMS contract are subject to negotiation on an annual basis, to ensure the contract reflects the needs of the NI population and provides the basis for the continued provision of high-quality GP services to patients here.

The representative body for GPs in Northern Ireland, the BMA’s Northern Ireland General Practitioners Committee (NIGPC), has worked constructively with the Department to reach agreement on an approach to the 2024/25 contract.

Despite the significant challenges facing the health budget, we have been able to reach agreement within the existing GMS budget envelope.

The Minister said:

“This agreement of the GP contract for 2024/25 is very welcome news.  GPs play a vital role in our Health Service, and I have been clear since my return to office that support for GPs and wider primary care is a key priority for me. Stabilising GP services is of crucial importance and I believe this contract is a step forward in that regard. There is, of course, much more work to be done.

“Whilst the budget provided to me by the Executive does not allow me to make a substantial increase in the overall value of the contract, I am pleased that the agreement announced today makes significant progress against key aims identified by GPs in their negotiations, including provision of dedicated funding for their indemnity costs. I would pay tribute to the constructive and imaginative approach taken by NIGPC leadership throughout these negotiations.”

Notes to editors: 

1. The 20/25 GMS contract is effective from 01 April 2024.
2. Key features of the agreement include:                                                          QOF will be replaced with a Clinical Care Domain in the NI Contract Assurance Document, with the associated funding incorporated into the ‘core’ GMS contract. GP practices will be required to provide these services to their patients as clinically appropriate.                                                            A number of specified Enhanced Services will also be moved into the Clinical Care Domain of the NI Contract Assurance Document, with the associated funding incorporated into ‘core’ in the same way as QOF. funding that is provided for clinical waste will also be repurposed into core funding.
3. The total funding that will be released as a result of the above and available for re-purposing is £38.9million.
4. Of this, £5million will be dedicated to GP Indemnity, as an interim measure, pending identification of the long-term model for future provision.
5. The remaining £33.9million will be added to core Global Sum payments made to practices based on April 2024 patient lists.
6. Assurance over the required level of care being delivered to patients will be provided through the new NI Contract Assurance Framework (NICAF).
7. For media enquiries please contact the DoH Press Office by email pressoffice@health-ni.gov.uk.x
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9. The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours service For Media Enquiries Only between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110

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