Practices will be informed about local processes for claiming shortly
COVID-19 support fund for general practice letter
As you will know, the Government has previously described the intention to create a COVID-19 support fund (CSF) to assist with the legitimate additional costs of the response borne by GP practices. We are now able to confirm further details of this.
From the date of this letter, additional government funding will be available for practices to submit claims to their CCG (if that has not yet already taken place by local agreement) in relation to specific and net additional costs incurred for Bank Holiday opening over Easter and on 8 May.
Practices will also be able to claim for the additional costs incurred in delivering additional services to care homes, pursuant to our letter of 1 May. We remain grateful for the extra efforts GPs made to support residents. Further guidance on the claims process and eligible costs are appended. Care home costs will continue to be claimable under these arrangements until the end of September 2020.
We previously advised that during the initial peak, practices should offer full pay to any staff taking COVID-19 related sick leave or staff who are shielding because they are at highest clinical risk from COVID-19 or have completed a risk assessment and been advised not to deliver face to face care and are unable to work remotely. We can confirm that where it was required to maintain necessary clinical capacity and staff could not work at home, the cost of clinical and non-clinical cover will be reimbursed under the terms set out in the accompanying guidance, where practices have offered full pay to staff absent for COVID-19 related reasons. This will apply from 23 March to 31 July 2020.
From 1 August 2020, the usual contractual and legal position will again apply. Where practices have unavoidably required additional clinical and non-clinical capacity as a result of COVID-19, and where this is agreed by the commissioner, this will also be reimbursed.
The appended guidance also confirms how practices will be reimbursed for other additional net and reasonable costs incurred, including COVID-19 related consumables.
Thank you again for your ongoing work.
Dr Nikita Kanani Medical Director for Primary Care NHS England and NHS Improvement
Ed Waller Director, Primary Care Strategy and NHS Contracts NHS England and NHS Improvement