Dr. David Bailey
General Practitioners Committee
BMA House
Tavistock Square
London
WC1H 9JP
19 March 2012
Dear David,
Dispensing feescale 2012/13
Further to the letter from Lisa Dunsford on 7 March and Andrew Laycock’s email of 12 March, I would like to confirm that Ministers in England and Wales have now agreed to our proposals regarding the dispensing feescale from 2012/13 onwards. I thought it would be helpful to clarify these changes in writing.
Methodology
The methodology set out in DD037_07, see the appendix, has now been accepted and will be used to calculate future dispensing envelopes and feescales. The envelope for 2012/13 will be £170m for England and the corresponding feescale will also apply in Wales. The new methodology will be used to calculate the envelope for 2013/14 and future years.
Feescale change
Due to the timing of the agreement, it will not be possible to make the changes to the feescale until October 2012. The feescale calculation will use the methodology agreed with Jon Ford, and set out in 12-13 DD037_07, to ensure that the mid-year change will deliver the full dispensing envelope for 2012-13. TSC will be asked to begin work on the calculation once the end of year dispensing data are ready (expected around June).
Underpayments
Ministers have agreed that £10m in England and £700k in Wales will be paid to practices in lieu of any underpayments in 2010/11 and 2011/12. These payments will be calculated for all GP practices pro-rata on fees based on the 2010/11 outturn. PCTs and Health Boards will be notified shortly of the details and directed to make the payments to practices. We have agreed with you that practices owed £2.50 or less will write off these payments. No de-minimus payments will apply for Wales.
Specials
The Health Departments have agreed to introduce a £20 fee for Specials as soon as possible but they have not agreed to back date payments to November 2011. It is hoped that this change will be introduced in April 2012 but this is subject to the changes to the Statement of Financial Entitlements being agreed and signed off. Practices will be sent information on how to claim this fee. Advice on how to claim the fee for specials will be sent to Welsh practices by the Shared Services Partnership - Contractor Services.
We are pleased to have reached agreement on this matter and are jointly working towards an announcement date of 20 March 2012.
Best wishes
Stephen Golledge
NHS Employers
cc. Dr. David Baker, Chief Executive, Dispensing Doctors Association
Dr. Richard West, Chairman, Dispensing Doctors Association