Please note: When further information is available, GPCE will update and reissue the below guidance.
NHS England (NHSE) has begun discussions with the Government Legal Department (GLD) about including the practice level GP reimbursement scheme within a Statement of Financial Entitlements (SFE) amendment.
They are aiming for the amendment to come into force from 1st May 2026 but cannot yet confirm this date as the GLD are still considering how complex the drafting may be. NHSE’s intention is that practice claims can be backdated to 1st April 2026.
In recent weeks, GPCE has also discussed with NHSE the transition of GPs currentl funded via the 2025/26 PCN Capacity and Access Payment (CAP) to the practice level scheme. That scheme has now ended.
The SFE amendment will be shared with GPCE once drafted. NHSE is also developing accompanying guidance which they will also share with GPCE for review.
In recent discussions about the scheme, GPCE proposed allowing practices to use the funding to cover short-term sickness absence of GPs. This was rejected by NHSE on the basis that this cost is currently met by the employer. Using funding from the practice level
reimbursement scheme in this way would limit the number of additional GPs or sessions which could be secured by the funding.
However, they did accept GPCE’s proposal to scrap NHSE’s original intention to include a fixed full-time equivalent GP baseline within the additionality rules due to it being unnecessarily rigid.
NHSE plans to use the Calculating Quality Reporting Service (CQRS) Local platform through which claims for reimbursement will be made. They will prepare commissioners to use this platform where this is not already being used. More information will follow on this.
GPCE and NHSE also discussed the need to provide some reassurance to practices – particularly as the details of the scheme will not appear in the April SFE.
NHSE’s statement to GPCE is as follows:
DHSC & NHSE are working at pace to identify the least bureaucratic and most sensible way to stand the scheme up and will continue working with GPCE on its development. Scheme details will be communicated in due course via an amendment to the SFE and accompanying guidance. However, we want to reassure practices that funding will continue to be claimable for the whole of the financial year, regardless of when the SFE amendment comes into force and the claims portal comes online, i.e. claims can be backdated. We are also working to explore options so that that GPs previously employed using CAP funding can transition to the new practice level scheme.
NHSE also added this to the Primary Care Bulletin on 26 March 2026:
The changes to the GP contract in 26/27 include the introduction of a practice level GP reimbursement scheme. The details of the scheme will not be included in the Statement of Financial Entitlement (SFE) from 1 April 2026 as they are currently being developed but will be included in a subsequent amendment to the (SFE) and in accompanying guidance. However, funding will continue to be claimable for the whole of the financial year, regardless of when the SFE amendment comes into force. NHS England would also like to reassure practices that GPs currently employed via the 25/26 PCN level Capacity and Access Funding will be able to transition to the new practice level GP reimbursement scheme.
Resources
- NHS England Changes to 2026/27 contract