I am very grateful to our PCT who have really done their best to help
their GPs plan for the new contract. They only received the necessary
figures from the DoH this morning but managed to send me details of our
indicative Global Sum and MPIG this afternoon, together with several
useful spreadsheets which have greatly helped me to understand what is
happening and to work out my financial projections for 2004-05.
I have compared our practice's anticipated gross NHS income for 2003-04
with that expected under nGMS in 2004-05. I have excluded private
income, student tuition fees, training grant and Registrar salary
reimbursement from both sets of figures.
I have assumed that we will continue to provide anticoagulant
monitoring, rheumatology drug monitoring etc. as an Enhanced Service and
be paid the same as we are now. I have assumed that we will receive the
same Notional Rent, rates reimbursement and other premises payments at
the same level. I have assumed that we will receive the same prescribing
payments from the PPA.
I have assumed nil computer expenses and reimbursement for both years.
The figures are as follows:
Gross NHS income 03-04: £600,940.
nGMS income 04-05 (excluding Q&O): £553,496.
Shortfall: £47,444.
We aspire to 750 points, which if we earn them will give Q&O income of
£69,767. Adding this to our other nGMS income for 04-05 gives a grand
total of £623,263.
This amounts to an increase in income of £22,323, i.e. a 3.7% increase
over our 03-04 income.
Our net income may go up by slightly more or slightly less than 3.7%
depending on the factor by which our expenses rise.
I recall Peter Holden introducing himself as the man from the British
Money Association, and tipping us the wink that if we signed up to nGMS
the Government would give us a handsome pay rise. For our practice, as
best I can tell at this late stage, that handsome pay rise for which we
shall have to labour to score 750 out of a possible 1,050 Q&O points,
will be around 4%.
The final little twist is that in 04-05, two thirds of our Q&O payment
(i.e. around £46,578) will be withheld until the start of 05-06. During
04-05 itself we shall only be paid £576,685 gross, i.e. £24,255 less
than in 03-04, which is a 4% cut in income. Only in early 05-06 will we
receive that 4% back again, along with the additional 3.7%.
Now that I have at last been given a fully priced contract, is it too
late to vote "no"?
--
Michael Leuty <[log in to unmask]>
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