From the 1st April 2015, all practice are required to inform ALL patients of their named accountable GP. This is part of the GMS contract change for 2015 – 2016 that was agreed between BMA’s General Practitioners Committee and NHS Employers.
It means that practices will need to ensure that each patient on their practice list is assigned a named, accountable GP.
The requirement will be added to the regulations for GMS and PMS practices.
We will work through our patient list and using what is already recorded on the system, the patient will be informed of their ‘Usual GP’.
New patients will be informed who they are registered with.
We hope this will provide and promote a greater continuity of care for this co-hort of patients.
It does not mean that the named GP will take on vicarious liability for the work of other doctors of health professionals.
The named GP will not take on 24 hour responsibility for the patient or make a change to their working hours, the requirement does not imply personal availability for GP’s throughout the working week. The named GP cannot be the only GP to care to that patient.