BANES rejects GPs claim for responsibility payment

A report to September’s board meeting revealed the primary care trust had agreed to pay an annual backfill payment of £33,319 for each day of the week committed by a GP. The report said this compared unfavourably with neighbouring PCTs who had agreed payments of £26,000 and £29,000.

It added: “Having explored this in discussion with GP leaders and with the British Medical Association the proposed backfill payment is agreed by the chief executive as necessary to secure the continued engagement of practices in the work of the CCG.”

“There is no agreement about the proposed responsibility payment.The agreed backfill payment secures GP income for the time involved in CCG Board work at a rate that exceeds that which would be paid to any other category of person under the remuneration directions applying to PCTs and thus an additional responsibility payment is therefore not warranted.

“Reports from other PCTs in the South West suggest that only two others have similar payments and that in one of these, the remuneration arrangements are under review.”