NHS England sets out provisional COVID-19 support fund details

GP practices will be able to claim back funding for additional staff required to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and to cover for staff absences, along with other expenses due to the pandemic, under a financial support package provisionally unveiled by NHS England.

Practices should initially be able to claim back costs retrospectively starting from March 2020 and from now until the end of June 2020.

NHS England has said the funding is still to be ‘signed off’ by the Treasury but practices should be able to seek approval in advance for reimbursement for additional capacity required for COVID-19 work, such as extra staff to carry out care homes reviews.

This would be where a practice’s workload has increased and there is demonstrable need for additional capacity that cannot be met through redeployment of practice staff.

Practices are also expected to be able to access financial support for absence cover from day one for GPs and practice staff who are absent due to Covid-19.

However, this is dependent on practices providing full sick pay for employees who are off sick with confirmed or suspected coronavirus, and full pay for any staff who are shielding.

The funding should cover additional consumables or business expenses including PPE, provided this is procured in line with Public Health England guidance.

Staff reimbursements will likely reflect the amounts that have previously been agreed for bank holiday opening.

NHS England emphasised the announcements are ‘provisional principles – with the caveat that they are subject to Government clearance and therefore may change’.

The funding for extra staffing is separate from the £120 per bed funding for care homes service outlined in the network DES, even though practices are expected to start carrying out virtual ward rounds in care homes within two weeks or face sanctions. NHS England confirmed this work remains separate from the DES care home work, which begins formally in October.

Practices in some areas have already been offered some extra funding by their CCGs as a stop-gap while awaiting details of how NHS England plans to reimburse practices for extra costs incurred during the pandemic.        

The BMA and AISMA have produced a model claim form template for practices to keep track of all COVID-19 related costs and help claim reimbursement.