General Practitioners

(asked on 10th July 2014) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether a GP surgery on an Alternative Provider Medical Services contract can transfer onto a General Medical Services contract without a tendering exercise.


Answered by
Dan Poulter Portrait
Dan Poulter
This question was answered on 15th July 2014

There is no automatic right for a contractor holding an Alternative Provider Medical Services (APMS) contract to transfer to a General Medical Services contract.

It is for a commissioner to decide on the appropriate process for the award of a new contract for clinical services in accordance with the National Health Service (Procurement, Patient Choice and Competition) (No.2) Regulations 2013. There is no requirement to competitively tender all health care service contracts under the regulations and decisions will be based on the local circumstances. Monitor has published guidance for commissioners to support their decision making and is able to provide further advice when requested.

In addition, the provider would need to satisfy the eligibility criteria set out in the National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts) Regulations 2004. It is not necessarily the case that the holder of an APMS contract will satisfy all of these eligibility requirements.

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