£20,000 golden hello scheme for new partners begins

The ‘new to partnership’ golden hand hello payment will become available to new practice partners from tomorrow (1 July 2020).

The scheme, which had been due to start in April but was delayed due to COVID-19, offers:

• a sum of up to £20,000 to the new partner
• a contribution towards on-costs of up to £4,000   
• up to £3,000 in a training fund to develop non-clinical partnership skills.

NHS England (NHSE) previously announced the support package in the new GP contract deal for 2020/21-2023/24, as part of a £94m cash injection to address recruitment and retention issues in general practice.

New guidance published today outlines further details of the scheme and how to apply.  Funding will be backdated for partners who started on or since 1 April.

Healthcare professionals delivering care at the practice – including pharmacists and physios – are eligible for the scheme.

However, practice managers are excluded, although the BMA told Pulse it is exploring the potential for their inclusion.

The current guidance says eligible applicants must:

• never have held a GP partnership before
• hold a profit share in a legal partnership
• commit to remaining a partner in a GP practice for five years (or pay back some of the money)
• deliver a mininum of two clinical sessions per week in their partnership practice
• have signed a partnership agreement on or after 1 April 2020 and before the end of the scheme
• have a minimum of two years remaining in their contract.

BMA GP Committee chair Dr Richard Vautrey said: ‘This scheme, secured through negotiation with the BMA, shows faith in GPs and the partnership model – backed with additional investment – so that new partners can have the confidence in taking on this important role.

‘Of course, there are still wider issues facing partners – and influencing GPs’ decisions around becoming or remaining as partners themselves – that need urgent attention.’

He said this included ‘vastly cutting back on bureaucracy and regulation, and empowering GPs as leaders enabled to shape sustainable services with the necessary resources in their area’.

A guide to the scheme, frequently asked questions and the application form can be found on the NHS England website.

What funding will new partners receive?

The scheme offers a payment of £20,000 to health professionals taking up a full-time partnership role in general practice for the first time.

In addition it provides up to a £4,000 contribution for on-costs and up to £3,000 for training.

Where applicants work less than full time, their payment and on-costs will be calculated on a pro-rata basis, as outlined in the table.

The funding for training of up to £3,000 is available to all eligible participants, regardless of FTE.

Where the applicant is successful NHSEI will make payment to their partnership practice, who will then be required to release the money in a timely manner.

The £20,000 (pro-rata) sum is supported by a further 20% contribution to tax and National Insurance payments and (subject to Parliamentary approval) will be non-superannuable, so it will not be subject to pension employee and employer contributions.

Who is eligible?

• Applications are invited from individuals working in general practice who are registered with their respective professional body and delivering clinical care to patients in general practice through a GMS/ PMS/ APMS contract.  
• The eligible list of professionals who can apply to the scheme therefore is: General Practitioner, Nurse (including ANP), Pharmacist, Pharmacy Technician, Physiotherapist, Paramedic, Midwife, Dietitian, Podiatrist, Occupational Therapist, Mental Health Practitioner.
• The Applicant must be a partner
• have signed a legally-liable, equity-share partnership agreement on or after 1 April 2020 and before the scheme closes.
• Applications can be made on a retrospective basis where applicants accepted/accept the partnership role on or after 1 April 2020, up to six months after signing the partnership agreement
• Participants commit to holding a partnership role for five years
• The sum will be paid in alignment with the length of contract, which must have a minimum of two years remaining
• Applicants must not have been a partner previously in England
• The applicant cannot be employed on a salaried basis within the same practice
• Participants must deliver a minimum of two clinical sessions per week (4hr 10 mins each) in their general practice partnership setting (other than when on annual leave or on short-term sickness) for the five year duration
• Individuals can only participate in the scheme once.