In July primary care networks (PCNs) in North Central London received an unexpected demand from their combined CCG for the return of funding used to pay for staff employed under ARRS who worked in vaccination centres during core hours. The CCG wished to claw back payments made from April 2021 onwards.
Some PCNs in the area raised the issue with their LMCs and following intervention from LMC chairs, working with the support of Londonwide LMCs, this requirement has now been rolled back.
Dr Tina Agrawal of Camden LMC said:
“It is a shame to see this lapse in the constructive discourse that LMCs, practices and commissioners have worked to sustain since the start of the pandemic. Bypassing dialogue and going straight to sending demands for claw-back is not a professional approach, particularly at a time when practices remain under immense pressure from Covid and the pent-up demand for routine care created during the pandemic.
“We hope to see an apology about the way this has been handled and look forward to a restoration of a collaborative approach from commissioners, working with general practice in North Central London in the best interests of patients.”
These remarks were also covered in the Pulse write-up of what happened.