Agenda item

The Board had before it a report by Judith Proctor (Chief Officer) which provided an overview of the key steps and timeline for the implementation of the 2018 General Medical Services (GMS) Contract in Scotland).

The report recommended:-

That the Board –

(a)          Note the implications, key steps and timeline for implementation of The 2018 General Medical Services (GMS) Contract in Scotland, considering the key implications;

(b)          Agree that the IJB Chair sign the Memorandum of Understanding to commit the Aberdeen City Health and Social Care Partnership to undertake its responsibilities in relation to the implementation of the new GMS contract;

(c)          Note that the Memorandum of Understanding would also be presented to the NHS Grampian Board where it will be recommending for signing by NHS Grampian; and

(d)          Ask the Chief Officer to bring a final Primary Care Improvement Plan to the IJB for agreement prior to its submission to Scottish Government in July 2018.

The Chief Officer advised that the GMS Contract would come into effect on 1 April 2018 with the purpose of establishing a payment to GPs for the provision of primary care services. She explained that the terms of the Contract set out a significant change in the delivery of primary care services and although the Contract was between the NHS and primary care providers, there was acknowledgement that IJBs had responsibility for strategic planning.

The Chief Officer explained that the recently established Grampian Regional Oversight Group had responsibility for overseeing the implementation of the Contract on a Pan-Grampian basis and that the Group was led by the Chief Officer of the Moray IJB. She noted that the Aberdeen City IJB would be represented by the interim Chief Officer and the Clinical Director. She also informed the Board that the Memorandum of Understanding between the British Medical Association (BMA), NHS Boards, Integration Authorities and the Scottish Government had been signed by the Chief Officer of the Glasgow HSCP in his capacity as Chairperson of Chief Officers, Health and Social Care Scotland on behalf of all Scottish IJBs.

Thereafter there were questions and comments on (1) the level of contracted funding which had been pre-committed to existing workstreams and programmes; (2) the development of the three year Primary Care Improvement Plan; (3) the importance of managing expectations on how GP services would be delivered over the course of the contract; (4) the governance protocol, with regards to signing the Memorandum of Understanding; and (5) the importance of involving localities in the roll out of the Contract to ensure buy-in from local GP practices and communities.  

The Board resolved:-

(i)            to note the implications, key steps and timeline for implementation of the 2018 General Medical Services (GMS) Contract in Scotland, considering the key implications;

(ii)          to ask the Chief Officer to bring a final Primary Care Improvement Plan to the IJB for agreement prior to its submission to Scottish Government in July 2018; and

(iii)         to circulate an appointment to members for the Primary Care Workshop on 2 May 2018.