General Practice - Local Enhanced Services

The GP Practice contracts for the 20 Local Enhanced Services expire on 31 March 2021. GP practices are able to provide all or some of these services. The Commissioners intend to directly award the contracts to existing GP Providers across Somerset from 1st April 2021 to continue the delivery of these Enhanced Services for a period of 36 months to 31st March 2024.

In support of the CCG's Recovery Plan, a Health and Care Strategy entitled 'Fit For My Future', has been developed and subject to public consultation will determine the services required in the future. The Strategy will also impact on the contracting model, with the development of a new model of organised primary care. This reflects the national direction of travel with the recent publication of the GP Primary Medical Services Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service; general practices will work more collaboratively, both with each other and other organisations to create a locality based health and social care response to population health need, releasing opportunities to revise contracting arrangements.

The CCG undertook a review of all GP enhanced services in 2019 and concluded there is benefit in continuing to commission 20 services from April 2019, which all offer value for money. Although this formal exercise has not been repeated, services still represent value for money.

The indicative annual contract value which is split across 65 separate GP practices within the boundaries of Somerset has a budget of circa £4m per annum.