NHS Connecting for Health has announced plans to extend the support hours provided by GP IT suppliers to cover extended hours opening by GP practices.
The IT agency is currently consulting with suppliers about extending the opening hours of IT support desks at both ends of the day. Currently the GP Systems of Choice (GPSoC) agreement states that IT suppliers must make support available from 7.30am to 7pm Monday to Friday but CfH is proposing that this should be extended to cover 7am to 10.30pm.
Saturday morning cover would also be changed from the existing hours of 9am to 1pm to an earlier start time of 7.30am. No change would be made to arrangements for the rest of Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays when no support is provided.
CfH said local health communities would have to meet the cost of installing IT systems in the proposed 100 new GP Practices in PCTs with the poorest provision and 152 GP-led health centres. However it said annual service changes will be funded centrally using the GPSoC agreements.
The current proposal is that, in addition to the arrangements for all practices, GP-led health centres would also be able to access IT support from their suppliers between 7.30am and 8.30pm on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays.
CfH said the proposals were subject to change as practice plans for extended opening become clearer. Practices and PCTs that wish to comment on how the proposals affect them are invited to email the GPSoC team at gpsoc@nhs.net. CfH says further information will be provided following the end of the consultation in September.
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