GPSoC contracts due for completion this month

Connecting for Health (CfH) is predicting that all GP practices using eligible systems under the GP Systems of Choice (GPSoC) initiative will have been switched to GPSoC contracts by the end of this month.

The IT agency says primary care system suppliers have issued 400 “call-off” agreements to PCTs which must be signed by both PCT and supplier before payment responsibility transfers to CfH.

A CfH spokesperson told EHI Primary Care: “All PCTs have at least one eligible practice and we expect all PCTs to have completed Call Off Agreements for practices with GPSoC Level 2 and above systems by the end of March.

“We can confirm that the electronic records completed by the PCTs show that over 60% of eligible practices have so far been registered for inclusion in a Call Off Agreement and that these figures are increasing daily.”

The GPSoC local call-off agreements supplement the national framework agreements in place between the GP system suppliers and the Department of Health. So far six suppliers, EMIS, Healthy Software, INPS, iSoft, Microtest and Seetec, have signed national framework agreements.

CfH is encouraging PCTs to complete the process by the end of March to take advantage of the switch to national funding. The agency changed the implementation procedure earlier this year to speed up the procedures, which meant that practices are signed up by default unless they want to opt-out of the scheme.

Only systems that are compliant with level two or above of the GPSoC framework can enter into agreements with PCTs that means users of Healthy Software and Seetec systems, which are currently level one compliant, must wait until level two compliance has been achieved. CSC has also yet to sign its contract for supply of TPP’s SystmOne, although the system is level two compliant.

CfH told EHI Primary Care that approximately 480 call-off agreements will be needed to complete the implementation of GPSoC.

A spokesperson added: “The additional 80 Call Off agreements will be signed during 2008/09 as more systems achieve GPSoC Level 2.”

GP practices taking part in GPSoC will be required to sign a PCT-practice agreement by 30 April. The agreement sets out both parties responsibilities for provision of IM&T services. Detailed guidance on the PCT practice agreement is due to be issued shortly.