Coventry & Warwickshire COVID-19 Portal

 

PLEASE NOTE: THIS WAS FIRST SENT 07/04, BUT IS BEING RESENT 08/04 DUE TO REPORTS OF IT NOT REACHING EVERYONE AND A HIGH NUMBER OF BOUNCEBACKS.

 

Dear Colleagues,

 

The three CCGs have come together under a COVID Incident Management structure and are working together with system partners in response to the COVID Pandemic. As part of this arrangement the Primary Care Incident Management Team (IMT) has worked alongside the COVID Finance Group to agree a package of resilience support measures and reimbursement funding to ensure that we provide a comprehensive package of financial support alongside a workforce welfare offer, to support our primary care workforce at this challenging time.

 

Whist we have already communicated through the daily Communications Cascade briefings many of the key features of this support. We appreciate that our front line primary care workforce is exposed to a significant amount of information, consequently we felt it important to provide a specific focused briefing setting out the reimbursement and funding arrangements that have been made available to practices all in one place. These arrangements include upfront funding which practices will have already received directly from their respect CCG, as well as mechanisms to easily access additional reimbursement going forward as and when necessary to support practices to continue to deliver essential general practice services adapted set out in the Primary Care Standard Operating Processes (updated as of 5th April 2020)

 

COVID Resilience Funding and Reimbursement:

 

An initial UP FRONT payment made to all practices on or around 26th/ 27th March 2020 based on list sizes as of 1st January 2020:

· £3,000 – Small Practice less than 7,000 list size 

· £5,000 – Medium Practice 7,001 -10,000 list size

· £10,000 – Large Practice 10,000+ list size

Mechanism going forward for any additional costs incurred by practices to be submitted to their respective CCGs via the attached proforma at the end of each subsequent month.  

 

Sickness and Self Isolation Claims:

 

In relation to COVID-19 payments for those GPs who are required to isolate, GPs can claim locum costs reimbursement through the general claim form for COVID related items, claims can be submitted from week 1.

 

Funding for the mobilisation of designated Hot Hubs:

 

Consistent financial framework of delivery of designated ‘Hot Clinics’ focused on providing a co-ordinated response to the management of all febrile or COVID-19 symptomatic patients who require face to face assessment. Providing compensated costs over and above core GMS arrangements.  

 

The financial package consists of three elements including; 

1. Set-up Costs, 

2. Consumable equipment, 

3. Additional essential workforce costs to run designated Hot Hub sites, agreed with the CCG for each Place.

Claim forms have been provided to the mobilisation team for each designated Hot Hub.

 

COVID Contract Flexibilities:

 

Extended Hours: All CCGs have advised, through the daily Communications Cascade, a clear commitment that contractual levers and reporting requirements for PCN Extended Hours will not be applied during the period of the COVID pandemic. PCNs and their constituent practises should work together to utilise this contract flexibility to repurpose capacity and funding to provide resilience and business continuity to retain flexible access to essential primary care provisions following national guidance. Guidance issued by the BMA on work load prioritisation and guidance issued by NHSE sets out the expectations on general practice during the COVID period, including triage and remote consultations alongside clinically essential face to face consultations where required (following appropriate infection control procedures and triage to maintain the safety of patients and primary care workforce at all times).

 

PCN funding entitlements will continue through the period of the COVID pandemic. Practices are however required to confirm their intentions to continue to sign up to the PCN DES to enable the PCN funding entitlements to be available to their PCN and for practice engagement payments to be made available from April.  

 

Welfare and Support Offer:

 

There is a comprehensive welfare support offer available to our Primary Care Workforce – the details of this offer are attached. We are currently seeking to enhance this offer by providing additional occupational health support through an arrangement with our local commissioning support unit.