Improved Access to General Practice North Hampshire

NHS Hampshire, Southampton and Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group (North Hampshire only) is taking this interim approach to award (extend the existing contracts) this service to the existing Providers for the period 1st June 2021 - 31st March 2022, in the interest of providing effective, efficient and safe primary medical care to its registered population.

The following letter published by NHSE&I Letter template (england.nhs.uk) outlines that the responsibility for the delivery of Extended Access service will not be going to Primary care Networks (PCNs) from April 2021 as expected, and that this will be delayed for a further year. This is in response to the additional pressure GP practices are currently experiencing in delivering the COVID vaccination programme.

The CCG is therefore required to ensure a service runs until 31st March 2022. The option of going out to procurement on this contract is ruled on account of the timeframes. A procurement process would take 6 months, and mobilisation a further 3 to 6 months which would take near to the end of the contractual term. The CCG will therefore be extending the existing service for a further year and will be publishing a contract award notice to this effect in order to update the market.

Throughout the next year further work will be undertaken with PCNs to establish what the plan will be from April 2022. Engagement with patients and reviewing the service that has been in place will form a large part of ensuring that future provision is fit for purpose.

At this point it remains unknown what the PCN contract detail will look like. For example financial details and specific requirements in terms of operating hours and locations has not be published. This is expected sometime in Autumn 2021 when more plans can be made.