Birmingham and Solihull General Practice COVID Capacity Expansion Fund 2020/2021 Guidance
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Birmingham and Solihull
General Practice
COVID Capacity Expansion Fund
2020/2021
Guidance
V3
1
CONTENTS
Item Page Number
1. Purpose 3
2. Background 3
3. Principles 3
4. Context 3
5. BSol Delivery Plan 2020/2021 5
6. Governance 6
Appendices:
Appendix 1 - Key Actions and Monitoring Arrangements 7
Appendix 2 - Sign Up Form
Appendix 3 - Action Plan Templates & Self Declaration Forms
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2Guidance
BSol General Practice COVID Capacity Expansion Fund 2020/21
1. Purpose
The purpose of this document is to set out the Birmingham and Solihull General Practice
COVID Capacity Expansion Fund 2020/2021 Guidance and Application form for review and
sign up for practices to access the fund.
2. Background
On 9th November NHSEI published details of the General Practice COVID Capacity Expansion
Fund. See Link below;
https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-
content/uploads/sites/52/2020/03/C0828_GP-funding-letter-_second-wave_9novreb.pdf
The letter states that NHSEI have established a new General Practice Covid Capacity
Expansion Fund. £150 million of revenue is being immediately allocated through ICS to
CCGs for general practice, for the purpose of supporting the expanding general practice
capacity up until the end of March 2021.
The fund is ring fenced exclusively for use in general practice. It will be for ICSs and CCGs
to determine how best it is spent within general practice, with a focus on simplicity and
speed of deployment, within the following parameters. CCGs should not introduce overly
burdensome administrative processes for PCNs and practices to secure support.
The BSol STP allocation is £3.4 million.
(Note - this fund is not for COVID vaccine delivery)
3. Principles
The following principles have been applied in the design of the BSol local scheme.
The total BSol STP allocation of £3.4 million in full has been invested in BSol General
Practice.
Rapid deployment of funding to BSol General Practice – whilst the non-recurrent
funding was only announced on 9th November we have quickly sought to design a local
scheme with the aim to transfer funding to support BSol general practice by mid-
December 2020.
We have defined the NHSEI seven goals into key actions, six of which general practice
is already delivering.
We have designed a simple practice sign up form and the monitoring process will
require only one End of Stage Report submission in April 2021.
4. Context
Expanding Capacity
Accessing the fund will be conditional on practices and PCNs continuing to complete
national appointment and workforce data in line with existing contractual
requirements.
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3Where an individual practice is not yet accurately recording activity that is broadly back at its
own pre-COVID levels, it is expected to do so as part of accessing the fund.
Systems are encouraged to use the fund to:
Stimulate the creation of additional salaried GP roles that are attractive to practices
and locums alike
To increase the time commitment of existing salaried staff
(BSol STP 174 Salaried GPs & 45 Locums head count Sept 20 NHS Digital)
Employment of staff returning to help with COVID
(The CCG have received an excel spreadsheet from NHSEI Region 10th November
with 7 returning staff)
The following will also be made available to support systems to increase GP capacity:
Financial support (up to £120k) in addition to the £150m to each STP/ICS to support
the process of recruiting and deploying employed GPs on the basis above.
An optional flexible GP employment contract template (NHSEI to publish details)
A digital suppliers framework to assist GP workforce deployment by matching
sessional capacity to local demand. (NHSEI to publish details)
Expectations
The funding will be expected to support seven priority goals as set out below:
•Increasing General Practice workforce numbers and capacity
Goal 1
•Supporting the establishment of the simple COVID oximetry@home model
Goal 2
•First steps in identifying and supporting patients with Long COVID
Goal 3
•Continuing to support clinically extremely vulnerable patients and maintain the
Goal 4 shielding list
•Continuing to make inroads into the backlog of appointments including for chronic
Goal 5 disease management and routine vaccinations and immunisations
•On inequalities, making significant progress on learning disability health checks, with
an expectation that all CCGs will without exception reach the target of 67% by March
Goal 6
2021. And actions to improve ethnicity data recording in GP records
•Potentially offering backfill for staff absences where this is agreed by the CCG, required
Goal 7 to meet demand, and the individual is not able to work remotely
The CCG have defined the NHSEI 7 Goals into Key Actions:
Details are set out at Appendix 1
(a) 6 Goals are to be delivered by general practice as already delivering
(b) 1 Goal COVID oximetry@home model is to be delivered by South Doc Services
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45. BSol Delivery Plan 2020/2021
Engagement with key stakeholders is set out below:
WC 16th Nov – Engagement meetings with both Birmingham and Solihull LMCs whom
are supportive of the local delivery plan.
24th Nov & 1st Dec – Engagement with the GP Advisory Board ref COVID
oximetry@home model; agreed to be delivered by South Doc Services.
Two dedicated engagement webinars (23rd Nov & 27th Nov) with BSol General
Practices to seek their feedback about local delivery plan;100 plus participants whom
were supportive of the local delivery plan.
The BSol delivery plan is set out below:
a) Ring fenced exclusively to support general practice to increase workforce capacity with a
focus to progress delivery of 7 goals - the goals have been defined as key actions to
enable clear sight of delivery.
b) Accessing the fund will be conditional on practices and PCNs continuing to complete
national appointment and workforce data in line with existing contractual requirements.
c) Rapid deployment of funding by mid December 2020 given its non-recurrent and needs
to be utilised by 31st March 2021.
d) In line with NHSEI specific guidance the CCG practice sign up template and monitoring
arrangements are not burdensome administrative processes for practices to secure
support.
e) Sign up template ref eligibility criteria will be reviewed to check eligibility criteria against
national and CCG data.
f) Upon review if eligibility criteria met practices will receive their share of funding in full.
g) (If practices do not currently meet the eligibility criteria the CCG will ask for a plan from
the practice about how they intend to achieve this which will be reviewed in liaison with
the LMC)
h) The monitoring arrangements will consist of the practices submitting an End Stage
Report, includes actions plans and self-declaration forms, and will take in to account data
that is already available to the CCG.
A delivery time table is set out below:
Local Delivery Plan Timetable - Action Date
Launch local scheme and practice sign up form 2nd - 9th Dec
COVID oximetry@home model service goes Live WC 7th Dec
Review sign up forms to check eligibility criteria against CCG data 10th – 11th Dec
Practices notified of outcome and funding transferred WC 14th Dec
Practice access to funding and delivery of actions to progress towards goals Dec 20-March 21
Review data that is already available to the CCG Dec 20-March 21
Practices to submit an End Stage Report; 9th April 2021
(includes actions plans and self-declaration forms)
CCG to Review End Stage Report and submit an overall Delivery Progress April 2021
Report to Primary Care Programme Board
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56. Governance
Financial Implications:
The BSol STP allocation is £3.4 million; all of this funding has been made available to BSol
General Practice.
Based on general practice weighted list sizes as of 1st October 2020 practices will be
able to access funding of £2.48 per weighted list.
Sign up:
Practices have until close of play Wednesday 9th December, to review and sign up to
the capacity fund - set out in the sign up form at (Appendix 2)
(we recognise that this is a tight timeframe; however this will enable the CCG to
transfer funds in full to practices by mid December 2020)
Monitoring:
The CCG will be assured by NHSEI region about spend and progress against this plan
in response to the national guidance.
Practices;
Will be required to submit an End Stage Report by 9th April 20; this includes actions
plans and self-declaration forms demonstrating that the practice has delivered the Key
Actions to progress towards the seven NHSEI goals. (Note the CCG has provided
standard action plan templates and self-declaration forms at Appendix 3)
Monitoring data that is already available to the CCG
Where there is no assurance of delivery the practice will be expected to set out
mitigating reasons where there have been exceptional circumstances which will be
considered by a panel to include reps from the LMC. If the panel are not assured by the
exceptional circumstances the funding will be clawed back proportionate to the areas of
non-delivery.
CCG;
NHSEI will be seeking assurance from the CCG about the local delivery plan.
Ongoing Support from the CCG team:
The CCG is committed to support BSol General practice. Our dedicated senior primary care
team can be contacted for ongoing support.
Lead Contact Details
Dr Aftab Arif, Clinical Lead for Workforce, Resilience & Education aftab.arif@nhs.net
Ravy Gabrria-Nivas, Senior Primary Care Transformation Manager ravy.gabrria-nivas@nhs.net
Workforce & Resilience (07715045906)
Steve Connelly, Senior Primary Care PCN Contracting Manager steve.connelly@nhs.net
(07717646269)
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6Appendix 1
Birmingham and Solihull General Practice
COVID Capacity Expansion Fund 2020/2021
NHSEI Seven Goals – Key Actions and Monitoring Arrangements
Eligibility Criteria
(Existing Contractual Requirement)
Action Timescale Requirement Monitoring
Completion of General Monthly Contractual* Published National
Practice Workforce data via General Practice
NWRS Workforce data
Submission of Appointment Monthly Contractual
Data (automatic extraction)
*The National Workforce Reporting System is run by NHS Digital to collect and present Primary Care
workforce based data. It is a contractual requirement to complete and accurately maintain the
workforce Minimum Data Set (wMDS). You can access the website via this link:
https://www.nwrs.nhs.uk/default.aspx
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7Goal 1
Increasing General Practice Workforce Numbers and Capacity
Action Timescale Monitoring Support
Practices increase Dec 20 Self-declaration of The following will also be
workforce capacity additional sessions made available by NHSEI to
by any of the to being offered above support practices to increase
following options; March 21 Nov 20 baseline GP capacity:
• To increase the time
commitment of Evidence of recruitment • An optional flexible GP
through the use of employment contract
existing salaried
temporary contracts for template
general practice staff • A digital suppliers
by offering additional interim appointments
framework to assist GP
sessions workforce deployment
• Creation of additional by matching sessional
salaried GP roles that capacity to local demand
• The CCG has rec an excel
are attractive to
spreadsheet from NHSEI
practices and locums Region 10th Nov ; details
alike of 7 staff whom wish to
• Employment of staff return to help with
returning to help with COVID; please contact
COVID the CCG if you wish to
access this
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8Goal 2
Supporting the establishment of the simple COVID oximetry@home model
To be delivered by South Doc Services
Draft Referral Pathway – see below (final version to be confirmed via a separate communication)
Draft Referral Pathway
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9Goal 3
First steps in identifying and supporting patients with Long COVID
Action Timescale Monitoring
Identify and Support patients with Long Covid Dec 20 Self-declaration
Long Covid Definition: ‘Signs or Symptoms consistent with Covid to be completed
19 that exceed more than 12 weeks and cannot be explained to
with an alternative diagnosis’ (RCGP 2020) March 21
https://www.nice.org.uk/news/article/nice-sign-announce-
latest-rapid-covid-19-guideline-will-address-long-covid
Suggested SNOMED code outlined below for patients who are
accessing the BSol Long Covid Service
(1240711000000104 - Educated about 2019-nCov (novel
coronavirus) infection / Educated about SARS-Cov-2 (severe
acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) infection
(ensure a search is undertaken of the above code to ensure
correct data allocation)
Clinically appropriate follow up is maintained for these patients
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10Goal 4
Continuing to support clinically extremely vulnerable patients &
maintain the shielding list
Action Timescale Requirement
All patients coded as ‘CKD 5’ and ‘Downs Syndrome’ to Dec 20 Self-declaration to
be added to shielding list and appropriate sign post be completed
letter sent to
March 21
Clinical review and reconciliation to be completed for
Shielding Patients received nationally and appropriate sign
post letter sent
Note letter only needs to be sent if choosing to change
grading set nationally
Please see attached guidance from NHS digital for further
information:
https://digital.nhs.uk/coronavirus/shielded-patient-
list/guidance-for-general-practice
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11Goal 5
Continuing to make inroads into the backlog of appointments including for chronic
disease management and routine vaccinations and immunisations
Action Timescale Requirement
(A) Action plan to work towards ‘baseline’ vaccination rates Dec 20 Evidence of an
for all immunisations (except flu of which the target is 75%) Action plan
to
(B) Action plan to work towards ‘baseline’ rates for annual (see template)
review of chronic disease with a focus on Clinically March 21
Evidence of an
Extremely Vulnerable Patients Action plan
(see template)
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12Goal 6 Inequalities
Action Timescale Requirement
Annual LD Health Checks to be completed Dec 20 Evidence of an
An action plan to make progress to achieve 67% annual LD action plan to
health checks. to make progress to
• Note: Can now be a ‘Virtual’ LD check/DES March 21 achieve 67%
• Note: LD checks is outlined as a priority in PCN Impact & annual LD health
Investment Fund (80%) checks
• Note: PCN dashboard to be published 16th December 20
(support in kind
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/IIF- offered by CCG
Implementation-Guidance-2020-21-Final.pdf team)
(see template)
Actions to improve ethnicity data recording in GP Record Dec 20 Evidence of an
This is a priority outlined in NHSEI Phase 3 letter and in addition Action Plan to
is included in the BSol PCN Development Plan to make progress to
improve ethnicity
• Improve recording of ethnicity March 21 data recording in
• Confirm the ethnicity of the adults eligible for flu GP Record
vaccination and groups who are also typically likely to be at
risk of COVID-19. (see template)
• Improve GP registration for those without proof of identity
or address.
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-
content/uploads/2020/08/C0716_Implementing-phase-3-
v1.1.pdf
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13Goal 7
Potentially offering backfill for staff absences where this is agreed by the CCG,
required to meet demand, and the individual is not able to work remotely
Action Timescale Requirement
Expansion Fund allocation includes this Dec 20 Must be agreed with the CCG on
element on a pro rata basis case by case basis
to
MUST be agreed with the CCG on case by
case basis. March 21
(liaison with CCG Digital team to provide
support in kind)
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