Network Contract DES

Network Contract DES (NCD) Payments 24/25

Background

Investment and evolution: The five-year framework for GP contract reform to implement The NHS Long Term Plan, published in January 2019, describes significant investment in Primary Care Networks (PCNs) through the Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service (DES). As part of the Network Contract DES, investment is being made to support expansion of the primary care workforce and the implementation of seven national Network Service Requirements between 2019/20 and 2023/24 through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS).The sixth year of the Network Contract DES began in April 2024 and the data being collected expands on the indicators developed since 19/20 around the ARRS and the seven service specifications, covering CVD, Enhanced Health in Care Homes, Proactive Care, Personalised Care, Early Cancer Diagnosis, Structured Medication Reviews and Tackling neighbourhood Inequalities.

Purpose and outline

The purpose is to support NHS England (NHSE) by providing the relevant data/information that is used by PCNs/GP practices and commissioners to acknowledge achievement and ultimately ensure payment is accurate and in line with the enhanced service specification.

How this service is commissioned and provided

NHS England service specification, guidance and technical requirements will be published here: Network Contract DES 2024/25 Specification. The service is commissioned by Integrated Care Boards (ICB).

2024/25 Information about this service:

  • Quality service start date: 1 April 2024
  • Quality service end date: 31 March 2025
  • Payment period: Anually
  • Collection frequency: Monthly
  • Manual or automatic entry: Automatic data collection
  • Co-commissioning: No

Service user guides

The Calculating Quality Reporting Service (CQRS) user guides describe how to participate, manually enter and declare achievement for this service. Activity and achievement should be recorded monthly.

Network Contract DES (NCD) 24/25 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The below features Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Network Contract DES (NCD) 2024/25.

The value of the NCD £ per point will be confirmed in the specification when it is published by NHS England.
Data is collected monthly by the data suppliers who extract data from clinical systems.
The Commissioner is to report this to ODS who will send us the PCN end date. Once received, this will automatically end the participation of the service for the practice and no further action is required by the Commissioner. Failure to follow this process will result in incorrect calculations at year end. Commissioners are not to apply service end dates within CQRS.

For more information about Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service (DES), please visit the NHS England website.