Integrated Primary Care Access Service (IPCAS)

The service is to provide integrated primary care provision outside of general practice hours. This service is in response to the General Practice Forward View published in April 2016 which set out plans to enable clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to commission and fund additional capacity across England to ensure that, by 2020 everyone has improved access to GP services including routine appointments at evenings and weekends to meet locally determined demand. This

The services aims to bring together the separately funded and previously separately commissioned out of hours service and GP extended access; with a view to reducing duplication of activity. Access to GP and a wider workforce for consultation from 6.30pm on weekdays and at weekends based on local demand is made available through this contract. This consists of face to face consultations from agreed hubs, home visits and other virtual methods. Telephone consulting prior to the need for face to face or home visiting services will be conducted through the Integrated Urgent Care (IUC) contract and not this contract.