Temporary patients

Question

Under the new contract the payment for temporary patients has been subsumed into the global sum.   Is there any point filling in a temporary resident form since there is no extra money for providing this service?                          

Answer

Payment for temporary patients was included into the global sum on the basis of historic payments to your practice over the last five years.   The temporary patient forms you fill in now will inform the current level of services provided to temporary residents and will help to determine any necessary adjustments to global sum payments in the future.   The blue book Investing in General Practice* - 2.28 sets out that where the treatment of temporary residents is insufficiently accounted for within the global sum this may be resourced either by a  variation to the global sum or as a local enhanced service where, for example, a new holiday park has opened close to the practice resulting in a large influx of temporary residents.   It is important therefore to record all non-registered patients who are treated, including those requiring emergency or immediately necessary treatment. 

CED    May 05

*http://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/investinggp~chap2