£10m unclaimed funding for GPs across England before end of financial year

There is potentially at least £10m left within CCG budgets earmarked for GP practices by the end of this month, a Pulse Intelligence investigation can reveal.

An Freedom of Information reqeest (FOI) sent to all CCGs in England shows that there is still a lot of the Winter Access Fund (WAF) available, as well as some funding from the GP Forward View and other pots of funding.

A total of 75 CCGs out of 106 answered the FOI, with 22 answering that there were funds potentially available.

The Winter Access Fund was announced by NHS England in October last year, promising £250m funding given to CCGs to spend on general practice.

Local commissioners were encouraged to spend the funding on schemes to support practices and networks through the winter, including locums and wider services.

However, Pulse Intelligence’s investigation has revealed that there are still potentially millions unspent by commissioners.

The biggest potential pots of funding were in East and West Sussex CCGs, which had around £1m and £1.75m of the WAF available respectively, which could be accessed through bids submitted by local networks and practices.

Elsewhere, Brighton and Hove and Bolton CCGs both had more than £500,000 still available.

There is also potential funding available through other pots, including among other:

• More than £1m worth of workforce, digital, and resilience funding available in NHS County Durham CCG
• Almost £600,000 worth of access, resilience and transformation funding in NHS Gloucestershire CCG;
• More than half a million pounds worth of premises grants in NHS East and North Hertfordshire CCG;
• More than £300,000 of GP Forward View funding in NHS Kirklees CCG.

Dr Dean Eggitt, GP partner and Doncaster LMC CEO, said the funds as yet unallocated represent a substantial amount of money that primary care can still benefit from.

‘In many cases, it’s not too late to put together a last-minute proposal to win those funds. Even if unsuccessful this year, or if deadlines have already passed, in future practices should make  a habit of contacting their CCG early in the year to ask if there is any available underspend to apply for.

‘Funding is often available, but at short notice.  So, have a few worked up ideas written up and ready to go.’

Dr Eggitt has put together a guide on how to win a last-minute bid for CCG funds.

You can see the full table of where funds are available below. This will be updated if we get further responses from CCGs.