Annual contract holders with PCC have access to virtual networking sessions on various healthcare topics. These sessions allow contract holders to discuss current issues, concerns, and best practices with colleagues and PCC advisers. Upcoming sessions over the next month will focus on medical contracting, primary care networks, premises, dental, and eye care. Specific discussion topics for prior sessions included the impact of COVID-19, quality measures, integration with local services, and regulatory changes.

1. Annual contract holders have unlimited access to networking opportunities with
colleagues working across the country.
We are currently running medical, PCN, premises, dental and eye care sessions.
This networking sessions, led by our expert advisers, are delivered via Microsoft
Teams and give our contract holders an opportunity to raise and discuss their
current issues and concerns, as well as sharing what’s working well.
There is no set agenda and sessions are run as an open discussion with the PCC
team supporting. However, if you have questions in advance of the session,
we’d be happy to receive them.
Networking opportunities

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Medical contracting session discussions:
COVID-19
• Demand and capacity audits will be required, once things return to ‘normal’, to establish what
level of face to face appointments will be required in future. Some practices had as little as
five face to face appointments per 5,000 patients in the early stages of the pandemic
• Not all practice nurses have been fully utilised during the pandemic
• As part of GP business continuity plans, practices identified a ‘buddy’ practice to work with in
the event of a major incident. In some cases relationships between those ‘buddy’ practices
have been harmed by the impact of the pandemic.
Quality and outcomes framework
• In previous years flu clinics have been used for more than simply providing the flu vaccine. It
has been an opportunity to engage widely with patients who have long-term conditions. This
input has resulted in QOF achievement being high. The impact of COVID-19 on the future
delivery of services could restrict this type of flu clinic which could impact QOF achievements.

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PCN session discussions:
The main points to come out were:
• The role of federations in PCNs – concern about the impact PCNs will have on the federation
model
• Case studies about PCNs that are going over and above the network DES would be useful to
share
• How might extended access be implemented in 2021 when the two existing schemes come
together
• The need to establish PCNs as an integral part of the whole system and that this will only
happen once they genuinely become a primary care network, rather than a general practice
network.

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Premises session discussions:
The discussion included:
• Delegates discussed whether funding could be given for replacing carpets and seating in the
waiting room, as a result of infection control issues due to COVID-19
• Commissioners wanted to talk about whether they should be approving additional GMS
space as a result of COVID-19
• Some attendees asked for additional training about leases and lease terms.

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Dental session discussions:
Discussions at dental sessions included:
• Contractor changes, especially where one owner is looking to retire
• Incorporation requests – management and process to be followed
• Referral pathways into urgent dental care and between urgent dental care systems
• Year-end process and queries in light of COVID-19
• Private urgent dental care and reconciliation of payments.

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Eye care session discussions:
• Better integration of PCN with local eye health networks – linking with PCN about interpreting
service budget held by PCNs and eye care services above GOS
• Shielded patients NHS sight tests (patient not eligible for domiciliary service but eligible for
NHS sight test) should patient be charged a private fee or receive NHS test?
• Will there be changes to the practice assurance visits following COVID-19 for example, social
distancing, PPE, infection control
• Temporary suspension of GOS contract and change in GOS hours as a result of COVID-19
• Patient signatories on forms linked to infection control
• Sign-posting to new guidance released by NHS England and the profession
• Sharing working practices that have changed as a result of Covid-19; pros and cons and
whether these will remain post COVID-19, for example virtual practice assurance visits

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Dates for your diary
Medical contracting 1 July (more dates are being arranged)
PCN 14 July (more dates are being arranged)
Premises 6 July (more dates are being arranged)
Dental 7, 16 and 28 July
Eye care 30 June, 9, 21 and 30 July.
We will be adding more sessions to our national calendar, this link will take you to the events page
of our website for more information.

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Find out more
We are running lots of events/sessions virtually now. To find out more click here.
These events are available to contract holders as part of their contract package.
To find out more about our annual contracts please contact enquiries@pcc-
cic.org.uk