The new practice-level GP reimbursement scheme has been introduced to enable practices to recruit new GPs or increase the number of sessions from GPs already working in the practice.
User guides on the GP reimbursement scheme are available:
- View the GP Reimbursement Scheme Commissioner User Guide.
- View the GP Reimbursement Scheme GP Practice User Guide.
- View the training presentation slides (May 2026).
Communications, Guidance and Support
The key sources of information for the scheme are:
- General Medical Services Statement of Financial Entitlements Directions – GOV.UK
- NHS England » Supplementary information to support changes to the 2026/27 GP contract
Practices should contact their ICB for onboarding, user account management and claim administration for CQRS Local.
Funding and Financial Rules
See the General Medical Services Statement of Financial Entitlements Directions for full details. Key clarifications from the CQRS Local training are listed below:
Funding sits within Primary Medical Care allocations. ICBs administer onboarding and claims approvals, and process payments locally, or via PCSE.
Practices must comply with the additionality principles set out in General Medical Services Statement of Financial Entitlements Directions and the Supplementary information to support changes to the 2026/27 GP contract. There is no specific baseline against which GP recruitment will be measured.
This is a reimbursement scheme, so practices must claim for eligible costs already incurred (i.e. salary + employer National Insurance + pension contributions), up to the maximum reimbursable amount based on the hours worked. This cap is aligned to the 2026/27 salaried GP pay range. Where a practice is claiming for additional sessions provided by an existing employed GP, given the Employer’s National Insurance threshold is £5,000 p.a., the Employer’s NI rate for the additional sessions will simply be 15% of the additional hourly pay rate.
A practice’s entitlement is fixed using adjusted population at 1 January 2026. Adjusted population figures are published in the Primary Care Network adjusted populations publication. The calculation of estimated maximum income is also included in the 2026/27 Practice and PCN Ready Reckoner. If a published adjusted population figure is incorrect, for example because of a practice merger, the practice should liaise with the commissioner to agree how this should be handled.
Funding can be claimed from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. The funding will remain recurrently within the core GP contract beyond 2026/27 rather than transferring back to PCNs.
Practices are encouraged to spend their full allocation in 2026/27. Practices do not need to claim monthly and can use their entitlement flexibly across the year, providing they stay within scheme limits and monitor claims against their overall entitlement. Once approved, claims are paid in the following calendar month.
If practice is unable to utilise its full entitlement by 31 March 2026, underspends cannot be deployed for other purposes outside the scope of the scheme. However, good planning and, for example, deploying the remaining funding for additional sessions by existing practice GPs or what would have previously been used for a locum who is then employed on a short term / zero hours employment contract, should help mitigate the risks of underspends occurring.
Practices within the same PCN can transfer their funding entitlements to support the continued employment of GPs who have transferred from CAP-funded posts or from a PCN test site. Practices will need to complete a form, which has been circulated to ICB PC Finance leads and will be published shortly, and submit to their ICB for approval.
PCSE provides information on salaried GPs and pension type 2 self-assessment.
Funding sits within Primary Medical Care allocations. ICBs administer onboarding and claims approvals, and process payments locally, or via PCSE.
Practices must comply with the additionality principles set out in General Medical Services Statement of Financial Entitlements Directions and the Supplementary information to support changes to the 2026/27 GP contract. There is no specific baseline against which GP recruitment will be measured.
This is a reimbursement scheme, so practices must claim for eligible costs already incurred (i.e. salary + employer National Insurance + pension contributions), up to the maximum reimbursable amount based on the hours worked. This cap is aligned to the 2026/27 salaried GP pay range. Where a practice is claiming for additional sessions provided by an existing employed GP, given the Employer’s National Insurance threshold is £5,000 p.a., the Employer’s NI rate for the additional sessions will simply be 15% of the additional hourly pay rate.
A practice’s entitlement is fixed using adjusted population at 1 January 2026. Adjusted population figures are published in the Primary Care Network adjusted populations publication. The calculation of estimated maximum income is also included in the 2026/27 Practice and PCN Ready Reckoner. If a published adjusted population figure is incorrect, for example because of a practice merger, the practice should liaise with the commissioner to agree how this should be handled.
Funding can be claimed from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. The funding will remain recurrently within the core GP contract beyond 2026/27 rather than transferring back to PCNs.
Practices are encouraged to spend their full allocation in 2026/27. Practices do not need to claim monthly and can use their entitlement flexibly across the year, providing they stay within scheme limits and monitor claims against their overall entitlement. Once approved, claims are paid in the following calendar month.
If practice is unable to utilise its full entitlement by 31 March 2026, underspends cannot be deployed for other purposes outside the scope of the scheme. However, good planning and, for example, deploying the remaining funding for additional sessions by existing practice GPs or what would have previously been used for a locum who is then employed on a short term / zero hours employment contract, should help mitigate the risks of underspends occurring.
Practices within the same PCN can transfer their funding entitlements to support the continued employment of GPs who have transferred from CAP-funded posts or from a PCN test site. Practices will need to complete a form, which has been circulated to ICB PC Finance leads and will be published shortly, and submit to their ICB for approval.
PCSE provides information on salaried GPs and pension type 2 self-assessment.
Eligibility and Workforce (who you can claim for)
Details on eligibility are set out in Supplementary information to support changes to the 2026/27 GP contract. Key clarifications from the CQRS Local training are listed below:
The scheme is intended to increase GP capacity. Whilst the aim is to support clinically urgent same-day access in general practice, there is no restriction on the type of work the GP undertakes as part of the scheme, and practices should determine how best to utilise the additional capacity.
The Practice Level GP Reimbursement Scheme does not replace ARRS. PCNs can continue to employ and recruit GPs under ARRS provided the same costs are not claimed twice for an individual GP.
Any GP may be eligible for additional sessions where they are employed by the practice as a salaried GP under an eligible contract and all the scheme rules are met. This can include GPs on fixed-term contracts, locum or remote GPs, as well as GPs who hold separate contracts as a salaried GP and a locum, provided only the sessions delivered under the scheme are reimbursed. Invoice-only arrangements e.g. for locums – are not covered. A GP previously funded through ARRS, or a GP funded via CAP in 2025/26, may also be eligible where the scheme criteria are met.
Where practices share a salaried GP, it might be possible to claim for reimbursement provided that the scheme eligibility rules are met in full and the employment and claim arrangements are clear. Practices should ensure only the actual eligible costs are claimed and that the same costs are not claimed twice for an individual GP.
Claims cannot be made for GPs that were previously employed as a salaried GP in the practice within the last 12 months, unless an exception applies, such as previous cover for certain types of absence or a GP returning from retirement.
GP partners are not eligible unless:
– they enter and hold an employment contract (they are a salaried GP) for the sessions claimed under the scheme, and
– they haven’t been employed as a salaried GP within the practice within the previous 12 months, and
– the sessions are additional to their contribution as a Partner and they submit a declaration to their commissioner confirming that.
Trainees would not normally be within scope unless they are employed by the practice in a way that meets the scheme’s salaried GP rules.
Regarding GP retainer sessions, where the GP is an existing salaried GP employed by the practice, additional sessions may be claimable subject to the scheme rules and caps. This would depend on the employment arrangement fitting within the scheme.
Providers must confirm that scheme funding is not being used to cover an absent GP; there are separate SFE provisions for absent GP cover.
If a practice has more than 3,500 patients per fully qualified GP, they should contact their commissioner. This is intended to support a discussion about the reasons for the ratio and any assistance the ICB may be able to provide. The ratio should be calculated using fully qualified GP FTE data from the National Workforce Reporting Service (NWRS), and patient registration figures from Patients registered at a GP practice statistics, both of which are published monthly. It should reflect an up-to-date position for the practice. ICBs also have access to the GP Dashboard which includes a practice metric for patient to fully qualified GP FTE ratio.
The scheme is intended to increase GP capacity. Whilst the aim is to support clinically urgent same-day access in general practice, there is no restriction on the type of work the GP undertakes as part of the scheme, and practices should determine how best to utilise the additional capacity.
The Practice Level GP Reimbursement Scheme does not replace ARRS. PCNs can continue to employ and recruit GPs under ARRS provided the same costs are not claimed twice for an individual GP.
Any GP may be eligible for additional sessions where they are employed by the practice as a salaried GP under an eligible contract and all the scheme rules are met. This can include GPs on fixed-term contracts, locum or remote GPs, as well as GPs who hold separate contracts as a salaried GP and a locum, provided only the sessions delivered under the scheme are reimbursed. Invoice-only arrangements e.g. for locums – are not covered. A GP previously funded through ARRS, or a GP funded via CAP in 2025/26, may also be eligible where the scheme criteria are met.
Where practices share a salaried GP, it might be possible to claim for reimbursement provided that the scheme eligibility rules are met in full and the employment and claim arrangements are clear. Practices should ensure only the actual eligible costs are claimed and that the same costs are not claimed twice for an individual GP.
Claims cannot be made for GPs that were previously employed as a salaried GP in the practice within the last 12 months, unless an exception applies, such as previous cover for certain types of absence or a GP returning from retirement.
GP partners are not eligible unless:
– they enter and hold an employment contract (they are a salaried GP) for the sessions claimed under the scheme, and
– they haven’t been employed as a salaried GP within the practice within the previous 12 months, and
– the sessions are additional to their contribution as a Partner and they submit a declaration to their commissioner confirming that.
Trainees would not normally be within scope unless they are employed by the practice in a way that meets the scheme’s salaried GP rules.
Regarding GP retainer sessions, where the GP is an existing salaried GP employed by the practice, additional sessions may be claimable subject to the scheme rules and caps. This would depend on the employment arrangement fitting within the scheme.
Providers must confirm that scheme funding is not being used to cover an absent GP; there are separate SFE provisions for absent GP cover.
If a practice has more than 3,500 patients per fully qualified GP, they should contact their commissioner. This is intended to support a discussion about the reasons for the ratio and any assistance the ICB may be able to provide. The ratio should be calculated using fully qualified GP FTE data from the National Workforce Reporting Service (NWRS), and patient registration figures from Patients registered at a GP practice statistics, both of which are published monthly. It should reflect an up-to-date position for the practice. ICBs also have access to the GP Dashboard which includes a practice metric for patient to fully qualified GP FTE ratio.
Claims Process and Timing
Details regarding how to make claims via CQRS Local can be found in the CQRS Local user guidance. Some additional clarifications, prompted by questions asked during the CQRS Local training are listed below:
The scheme runs from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. Individual employment arrangements should reflect the actual contract dates for the GP concerned.
Claims cannot be backdated into the previous financial year.
ICBs set the monthly claim deadlines through local processes.
The system allows practices to submit once and have it automatically copied for up to the next 3 months where the GP will be working the same number of sessions/hours each month. If the GP’s hours fluctuate, monthly claims would be more appropriate.
Where details change mid-month (e.g. hours worked, or the GP), practices should amend the reimbursement claim to reflect the updated position.
Practices should claim the actual eligible cost incurred, but reimbursement will be limited to the relevant scheme cap where the actual cost is higher.
Claims for additional sessions from existing salaried GPs are based on hourly cost, so practices convert sessions into hours worked for the purposes of submitting reimbursement claims. Current BMA standards for a session of GP care are 4 hours 10 minutes.
Each claim must include an agreement start date and end date. The start date should be the date the GP began working sessions or hours under the scheme, and this should remain the same for all subsequent claims. The agreement end date should reflect the terms of the employment contract or the agreement to work additional hours. For longer-term commitments, for example to the end of the 2026/27 financial year, set the agreement end date as 31/03/2027. If you are claiming on a rolling basis, set the agreement end date as the last calendar day of the final month included in the claim. For example, for a claim covering May to August, the agreement end date should be 31/08/2026.
The scheme runs from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. Individual employment arrangements should reflect the actual contract dates for the GP concerned.
Claims cannot be backdated into the previous financial year.
ICBs set the monthly claim deadlines through local processes.
The system allows practices to submit once and have it automatically copied for up to the next 3 months where the GP will be working the same number of sessions/hours each month. If the GP’s hours fluctuate, monthly claims would be more appropriate.
Where details change mid-month (e.g. hours worked, or the GP), practices should amend the reimbursement claim to reflect the updated position.
Practices should claim the actual eligible cost incurred, but reimbursement will be limited to the relevant scheme cap where the actual cost is higher.
Claims for additional sessions from existing salaried GPs are based on hourly cost, so practices convert sessions into hours worked for the purposes of submitting reimbursement claims. Current BMA standards for a session of GP care are 4 hours 10 minutes.
Each claim must include an agreement start date and end date. The start date should be the date the GP began working sessions or hours under the scheme, and this should remain the same for all subsequent claims. The agreement end date should reflect the terms of the employment contract or the agreement to work additional hours. For longer-term commitments, for example to the end of the 2026/27 financial year, set the agreement end date as 31/03/2027. If you are claiming on a rolling basis, set the agreement end date as the last calendar day of the final month included in the claim. For example, for a claim covering May to August, the agreement end date should be 31/08/2026.
Evidence and Documentation Requirements
See the CQRS Local user guidance for full details. Key clarifications from the CQRS Local training are listed below:
ICBs are responsible for validating claims and must satisfy themselves that any approved claim is accurate and meet the rules of the scheme. They should determine what evidence practices must provide to support this process. This may include payslips and/ or contracts (redacted or otherwise). Commissioners must inform practices of these requirements and ensure compliance.
Where claiming in advance, subject to commissioner determination for the type of evidence required, evidence should only need to be uploaded for the initial claim, not re-uploaded on a monthly basis.
When claiming for GPs that had previously been funded via CAP, the practice should have a record of agreement between them and the PCN for the deployment of the relevant proportion of total CAP funding for the year being used to employ the GP. This could be used as evidence, alongside a record of employment for the GP.
Funding can generally be claimed for salaried GPs only. In the exception where a partner GP enters an employment contract with the practice for additional hours / sessions worked above their normal working hours, the practice will provide them with a payslip as they would for other employees.
ICBs are responsible for validating claims and must satisfy themselves that any approved claim is accurate and meet the rules of the scheme. They should determine what evidence practices must provide to support this process. This may include payslips and/ or contracts (redacted or otherwise). Commissioners must inform practices of these requirements and ensure compliance.
Where claiming in advance, subject to commissioner determination for the type of evidence required, evidence should only need to be uploaded for the initial claim, not re-uploaded on a monthly basis.
When claiming for GPs that had previously been funded via CAP, the practice should have a record of agreement between them and the PCN for the deployment of the relevant proportion of total CAP funding for the year being used to employ the GP. This could be used as evidence, alongside a record of employment for the GP.
Funding can generally be claimed for salaried GPs only. In the exception where a partner GP enters an employment contract with the practice for additional hours / sessions worked above their normal working hours, the practice will provide them with a payslip as they would for other employees.
CQRS Local System and Technical
See the CQRS Local user guidance for full details. The CQRS service desk (support@cqrs.co.uk) should be the first point of contact for functional system related questions. Some additional clarifications, prompted by questions asked during the CQRS Local training are listed below:
PCSE automation is disabled by default. ICBs can enable the functionality by submitting a request to the CQRS service desk (support@cqrs.co.uk).
User account management is the responsibility of the relevant ICB. Users are reminded that this is a practice level scheme and so, there are no PCN level access arrangements. A DPIA is in place for the scheme, as part of CQRS Local.
PCSE automation is disabled by default. ICBs can enable the functionality by submitting a request to the CQRS service desk (support@cqrs.co.uk).
User account management is the responsibility of the relevant ICB. Users are reminded that this is a practice level scheme and so, there are no PCN level access arrangements. A DPIA is in place for the scheme, as part of CQRS Local.
Understanding your claims windows
Non-urgent advice: Need help?
If you need help with CQRS, you can log a call with the service desk. Please email: support@cqrs.co.uk or call 0330 124 4039.