As reported by GP Online, in a bid to enhance primary care access and adapt to evolving demands, NHS England is extending financial aid to GP practices, encouraging the switch from analogue to digital phone systems and, subsequently, upgrading existing digital setups with ‘lower functionality.’
The letter from NHS England national director of primary care Dr Amanda Doyle said that moving all practices onto these systems would help pave the way for demand on GP practices to be included in local OPEL reporting systems.
Operational pressures escalation levels (OPEL) reporting currently only monitors pressure facing hospital providers and triggers set responses to support them when they are facing unsustainable strain. Earlier this year NHS England said it was exploring bringing general practice into the system and ICBs were asked to ensure tools were in place to monitor demand, activity and capacity in primary care this winter.
Funding will be prioritised towards practices that are currently unable to meet the system requirements from NHS England’s national specification, which are set out below. As part of the process NHS England will also consider value for money including the cost of the practice’s current phone systems, practices’ ‘commitment and willingness’ and whether they have engaged with the General Practice Improvement Programme.
NHS England has provided ICBs with a list of practices in their area that it believes currently do not meet the requirements. ICBs have been asked to confirm which practices require an upgrade and have the ‘appetite, capacity and ability to transition’ by 5 December.
New phone systems
Practices will need to confirm they would like to sign up for the additional support by 18 December. A national prioritisation panel will then consider which practices should receive funding with ICBs being notified by 22 December. Practices will then be expected to sign a contract with a supplier by 2 February with the system going live by 25 March at the latest.
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