Primary Care Extended Access for Luton

NHS Luton Clinical Commissioning Group is expected to implement all 7 core areas of GPFV access, these 7 core requirements are as follows.

• Timing of appointments:

Commission weekday provision of access to pre-bookable and same day appointments to general practice services in evenings (after 6:30pm) - to provide an additional 1.5 hours a day;

Commission weekend provision of access to pre-bookable and same day appointments on both Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays to meet local population needs;

Provide robust evidence, based on utilisation rates, for the proposed disposition of services throughout the week;

Appointments can be provided on a hub basis with practices working at scale.

• Capacity:

Commission a minimum additional 30 minutes consultation capacity per 1000 population, rising to 45 minutes per 1000 population.

• Measurement:

Ensure usage of a nationally commissioned new tool to automatically measure appointment activity by all participating practices, both in-hours and in extended hours.

• Advertising and ease of access:

Ensure services are advertised to patients, including notification on practice websites, notices in local urgent care services and publicity that into the community, so that it is clear to patients how they can access these appointments and associated service;

All practice receptionists able to direct patients to the service and offer appointments to extended hours service on the same basis as appointments to non-extended hours services

Patients should be offered a choice of evening or weekend appointments on an equal footing to core hours appointments.

• Digital:

Use of digital approaches to support new models of care in general practice.

• Inequalities:

Issues of inequalities in patients' experience of accessing general practice identified by local evidence and actions to resolve in place.

• Effective access to the wider whole system services:

Effective connection to other system services enabling patients to receive the right care the right professional including access from and to other primary care and general practice services such as urgent care.

Leadership and Governance: Ensure leadership and governance arrangements/requirements are in place.

The CCG has carried out a thorough due diligence process and has identified that the 27 GP member practices within Luton are best placed/most capable to provide these services.

Additional information: A PIN as a Call to Competition procedure was followed as 'Most Capable' providers had been identified following a robust due diligence process. Following the PIN as a Call to Competition (OJEU Ref: 2018/S 086-193378) no further expressions of interest have been received from the Market. A voluntary minimum 10 day standstill period has been followed prior to entering into contracts with those providers designated/identified within the notice as being the 'Most Capable' pursuant to Regulation 99(3)(c) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.

There is an option to extend the contract for a further 24 months.

Castle Medical Group will act as Lead Practice for all 27 GP practices operating within the service boundaries of NHS Luton CCG as detailed within the advertised PIN - as a Call to Competition notice.