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GPSoC funding explained

Who pays for what?

The table below sets out examples of the services offered by GPSoC Framework suppliers, the way they are priced and who is responsible for payment. Detailed pricing for the services from each GPSoC Framework supplier will be published on the GPSoC web pages.

GPSoC Services Description Pricing Model/supplier Who Pays
GPSoC Level 2 Service GP clinical IT system including Choose and Book and the Electronic Prescription Service. Fixed software licence charge/practice/annum regardless of size. Varies by supplier. NHS CFH
GPSoC Level 3 Service GP clinical IT system including GP2GP record transfer in addition to Level 2 Service.

Fixed increment to charges at Level 2. Same for all suppliers - £200/practice/annum.

(subject to indexation)

 NHS CFH
System Support Service Provision of helpdesk and problem resolution support.

Fixed charge applicable at all GPSoC Levels. Same for all suppliers - £650/practice/annum.

(subject to indexation)

 PCT
Core Training Service All training interventions associated with delivery of NHS CFH functionality. Day rates with discounts based on national volumes. Includes prices for half day training and train the trainer. Varies by supplier. PCT
Summary Care Record Service Provision of Summary Care Record in GPSoC compliant system. Incremental software charge, variable by supplier. NHS CFH
Deployment Services – to an alternative system Required activities to deploy GPSoC compliant system in a practice. One-off charge for engineering support, project management and training activities. Fixed for deployment to an alternative system. Varies by supplier. PCT or practice
Deployment services – for practice merger/split Required activities to effect a practice merger or split. One-off charge for engineering support, project management and training activities.
Varies depending on the specific requirements for the practice merger/split. Varies by supplier.		 PCT or Practice
Documented Data Extract Service Provision of a data extract with accompanying documentation explaining file structure. Fixed one-off charge/practice. Varies by supplier. PCT
Data Migration for Deployment Service End to end data migration from existing system into new system. Fixed one-off charge/practice. Varies by supplier. PCT
Business Continuity Services e.g. Back-up verification service for LAN based systems, handheld device or laptop based access to the GP clinical IT system, etc. Supplier specific periodic charge. PCT/Practice
Non NHS CFH driven training services e.g. training for practice selected add-ons or requirements. As per Core Training Service - day rates with discounts based on national volumes. PCT or practice
Hosted GPSoC services not hosted to NHS Connecting for Health standards. Hosting services that do not meet NHS CFH specifications. Payment model determined by supplier and PCT. PCT
Open book. NHS Connecting for Health once the supplier starts to deliver improvements on agreed path to hosting to NHS CFH standards
GPSoC services hosted to NHS Connecting for Health standards Hosting services that meet NHS CFH specifications. Open book. NHS CFH.
GPSoC level 4 service GPSoC level 3 + hosting to NHS CFH standards. As per GPSoC level 3 and GPSoC services hosted to NHS CFH standards. NHS CFH
Day rate services Provision of personnel resources. Supplier specific day rates inclusive of expenses. PCT or practice
Miscellaneous (See notes 1 & 2 below) Supplementary services provided by GPSoC suppliers. Pricing and payment model determined by the supplier. PCT or practice

Payment responsibilities under GPSoC

Note 1:

Miscellaneous services will vary by GPSoC Framework supplier and may include hardware and third party software. Up-to-date lists will be available on the GPSoC web pages.

Note 2:

Any charges relating to the operation and support of the practice based clinical server or other practice IT infrastructure have been classified as Additional Services under GPSoC and will be payable by the PCT.

Note 3:

Practices may choose to fund some of these services directly to meet practice specific needs.

What will a PCT or practice need to pay for under GPSoC?

Using the table above together with the supplier pricing workbook (XLS 141Kb) you can identify the services that you will be paying for under GPSoC and what the charges are for those services.

Your existing suppliers have sent/will be sending you information identifying which services they are currently supplying by practice to facilitate resolving which services need to be included on the required schedule within the Call Off agreement, i.e:

  • Schedule A – used to select the national services the PCT wishes to procure from the GPSoC Framework supplier. These services are entered via the Tracking Database.
  • Schedule A(i) – used to select the additional services the PCT wishes to procure from the GPSoC Framework supplier.
  • Schedule B - used to select the additional services the practice wishes to procure from the GPSoC Framework supplier.

When the schedules have been received you will be able to workout how much you will need to pay.

Further details of how to order GPSoC services can be found on the Implementing the GPSoC Agreements web page.

How will billing work

NHS CFH will only take over funding of GPSoC compliant systems for a practice once it has been added to a Call Off agreement by the PCT. The practice does not have to change its existing system but it must be using a GPSoC Level 2 compliant system before it can be included in a GPSoC Call Off agreement.

  • All services funded by NHS CFH will be billed to and paid directly by NHS CFH
  • All services funded by the PCT will be billed to and paid directly by the PCT
  • All services funded by the practice will be billed to and paid directly by the practice

(for further information please refer to the table in the 'Who pays for what?' section above).

PCTs need to advise suppliers whether they require to be billed quarterly or annually for services that are billable in advance. One-off services (e.g. training days) that are not billable in advance will be billed quarterly in arrears where the PCT has elected for quarterly billing. Where the PCT has elected for annual billing of other services the billing frequency of one-off services will be for local agreement with the supplier.

The GPSoC quarterly invoicing dates are 1 April; 1 July; 1 October; 1 January. All invoices/credit notes will be dated on a GPSoC quarterly invoicing date except where billing dates for one-off services provided to a PCT or practice have been otherwise agreed by the PCT or practice.

GPSoC payment terms are 30 days from the date of the supplier invoice.

Whenever a practice is included in GPSoC the supplier is obliged to provide a refund to the appropriate party on a pro-rata basis for any payments made in advance under previous agreements.

Further details on billing and payment can be found in the GPSoC Guide and FAQs section.

GPSoC infrastructure funding

NHS Connecting for Health distributed an aggregate of £80m in capital funding directly to PCTs between July and September 2007 to support the implementation of practice infrastructure in accordance with the General Practice IT Infrastructure Specification available from the specifications and other resources page.

The General Practice IT Infrastructure Specification sets out in Table 1 the priority order in which the funding provided by NHS Connecting for Health should be have been spent. If there are any concerns about whether or not a practice's infrastructure meets the required standard, the issue should be raised with the PCT and escalated in line with the agreed local procedures.