GP data for this release was provided by CCGs. The collection was an additional table within the General Practice Forward View (GPFV) monitoring survey which is a regular quarterly online collection that NHS Digital administers on behalf of NHS England and NHS Improvement.[1]
CCGs were asked to provide names and contact details for the service providers along with the number of GP hours commissioned for three reporting periods:
- July – September 2015
- January – March 2019
- April – June 2019
We asked for information at September 2015 as this is the commonly used starting point for time series data on the GP workforce within general practices, making it logical to evaluate the GP workforce in alternative settings from the same point.
CCGs were asked to provide these GP commissioned hours by five specific settings and definitions and guidance were produced.
- Extended Access (which may be commissioned from a general practice rather than another organisation)
- Out-of-Hours (OOH), CCG commissioned
- 111 / Integrated Urgent Care (IUC)
- Type 1/2 GP Streaming in Accident and Emergency Departments
- Urgent Treatment Centres (UTC) / Minor Injury Units (MIU) / Type 3/4 GP Streaming
Two additional categories were also provided as part of the collection for use when the complicated commissioning arrangements meant that the GP hours could not be allocated to any other category, or where the setting was not known.
For example, a CCG commissioning Extended Access, Out-of-Hours and an acute visiting service may record all commissioned hours against the Other category where they could not split the activity by setting type.