Primary care is the term for the health services that play a central role in the local community: GPs, pharmacists, dentists and midwives. Primary care providers are usually the first point of contact for a patient. They also follow a patient throughout their care pathway. Primary care trusts (PCTs) in England receive budgets directly from the Department of Health.
A series of supporting guides to help primary care trusts become world class commissioners of primary care and community services. They have been co-produced by NHS East of England, NHS Primary Care Commissioning (NHS PCC), and the Department of Health.
Equitable Access to Primary Medical Care (EAPMC)
Fairness in Primary Care (FPC) procurement: NHS primary medical care and related services
Tackling inequalities in access to primary medical care services in the most under-doctored PCTs in England.
PDF version The Department of Health allocates revenue funding to primary care trusts (PCTs) on the basis of the relative needs of their populations and in line with pace of change policy.
Latest updates:
2009-10 and 2010-11 PCT allocations
The Department announced allocations to primary care trusts for 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 on 8 December 2008.
- Download Table of allocations for 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 (PDF, 200K)
- The NHS in England: The operating framework for 2009/10
ACRA report
The Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA) continually oversees the development of the weighted capitation formula. It makes recommendations to the Secretary of State for Health on potential changes to the formula between PCT allocation rounds. ACRA is an independent expert body supported by a Technical Advisory Group (TAG). A report of the review of the weighted capitation formula undertaken by ACRA between 2005 and 2008 was published in December 2008.
Equality impact assessment
A new weighted capitation formula has been developed to inform 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 allocations to PCTs. The new formula is covered in this Equality impact assessment.
- Download Equality impact assessment for 2009-10 and 2010-11 PCT allocations (PDF, 161K)
- Download the data for this report by clicking here.
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Managingyourorganisation/Financeandplanning/Allocations/index.htm
The Procurement Guide for Commissioners of NHS-Funded Services sets out expectations of commissioners on the use of procurement to improve services for patients, including:
- Investment in new service models or significant additional capacity;
- Upon expiry of existing contracts; or,
- Where services fail to improve through contract management
This Guide supersedes the PCT Procurement Guide published in March 2010 and the elements of Commercial Skills of the NHS concerned with the procurement of clinical services.
The Guide has been reviewed to ensure it is consistent with the White Paper: Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS which set out the Government’s strategy for the NHS including the commitment that, wherever relevant, patients should have a choice of any willing provider that meets NHS standards, within NHS prices
The guidance is consistent with Law, including the application of the UK Public Contracts Regulations to commissioning of health services and reflects overarching principles of transparency, proportionality, non-discrimination and equality of treatment.
It should be read in that context and in conjunction with the Principles and Rules for Cooperation and Competition and the National Standard Contracts guidance.
- Download Procurement guide for commissioners of NHS-funded services (PDF, 1594K)
- Principles and Rules for Cooperation and Competition
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/Publicati...
http://www.medfash.org.uk/publications/documents/HIV_in_Primary_Care.pdf