The details of the scheme were included in the May 2026 amendment to the GMS Statement of Financial Entitlements (SFE). Practices can claim funding from 1 April 2026 until the 31 March 2027. The funding for the practice level GP reimbursement scheme will remain within the core GP contract recurrently beyond 2026/27 and will not transfer back to Primary Care Networks (PCNs).
Prior to its introduction, GPCE discussed with NHSE the transition of GPs currently funded via the 2025/26 PCN Capacity and Access Payment (CAP) to the practice level scheme. That scheme has now ended.
Practices are able to claim reimbursement for:
- the employment of a new salaried GP (or a contribution towards the cost of a new GP).
- extra sessions from existing salaried GPs within the practice
- where the practice is a core member practice of a PCN, for the continuation of a salaried GP
- where the post was previously funded (and the funding has stopped – or will stop) through either:
- the PCN Capacity and Access Payment or
- the PCN Test Sites programme.
GPs who are locums within the practice can also be funded via the practice level GP reimbursement scheme, but they must hold an employment contract with the practice for the additional sessions (that is, they would be a new salaried GP under the scheme).
In 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.
NHSE also added the below 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.
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