This section includes the relevant information relating to the key contracts relating to contracts and services delivered by LLR practices in 25/26. This is split into the following areas:
- National contract
- 25/26 GMS contract
- Statement of Financial Entitlements (SFE)
- Advice & Guidance DES
- Flu and COVID-19 Seasonal Vaccination Programme: Autumn/Winter 2025/26
- Local contracts
- Community Based Services (CBS) 25/26
- Minor Surgery DES
- Primary Care Network DES
National Contract
The LMC is aware of the concerns that many practices have about implementing the changes from 1st October.
The BMA have released new guidance which can be found in the attachments below. When deciding how to implement the changes ensure that you prioritise patient and practice staff safety:
- 1st October 2025 changes to regulations and practice contracts regarding patient ‘contact with the practice
- Online consultation requests – Managing patient care safely from 1st October 2025
- GP online consultation poster
- Your Practice Charter
- Choosing an e-consultation
- GP Connect Short Summary
- Template letter from GP practices to ICBs regarding online consultation from 1st October
- WORD VERSION – Template letter from GP practices to ICBs regarding online consultation from 1st October
- Waiting lists in General Practice
- Online Consultations poster (word version)
- FAQ for Online Consultations
- Demand and Capacity
- Setting upcoming consultations and appointments
- GP safeworking guidance and handbook
BACKGROUND
| GPC England has accepted new 2025/26 contract in principle, as long as further substantial national contract reform is also guaranteed |
On Friday 28th February 2025, GPC England has confirmed that it has agreed in principle to accept the proposed amendments to the 2025/26 GMS contract, following two months of intense negotiations with the Government.
At a GPCE meeting held yesterday, the committee agreed to accept proposed changes for 25/26 – including an overall funding uplift of £889 million – contingent on the Government committing to re-negotiating a new national contract within this Parliament. We have stipulated that this commitment must be confirmed in writing ahead of the Special LMC Conference on Wednesday, 19 March 2025.
The changes for 2025/26 will provide a 7.2% cash growth in contract funding, including:
- Almost £800m national funding into the GMS Global Sum to help cover rising costs – including staff and premises expenses and patient list growth
- A relaxation of rules around the PCN direct enhanced service so that constituent practices can choose which roles to employ from their additional role staff budgets, rather than having this centrally determined
- A £2 increase in the Item of Service fee for routine childhood vaccinations
- An additional £80 million investment – separate from the overall £889 million funding uplift – for a new Enhanced Service that compensates GPs for delivering Advice and Guidance request.
We believe that these reforms represent an important first step on the journey towards rebuilding general practice after years of underfunding.
Funding will remain allocated to PCNs for the ARRS, but the Government has agreed that GPs employed under the scheme will now be paid in line with the BMA’s recommended salary range. The Government will also remove the cap on the number of GPs that can be employed through the scheme, which they hope will go some way in reducing GP unemployment and accelerating workload growth. We have made it clear that this is an acceptable short-term fix, but we expect to discuss and agree a medium to long-term practice-level employment solution in the coming months.
Among other changes is a DHSC assumption of funding to cover pay increases, subject to review following Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) recommendations. GPCE has submitted extensive evidence to the DDRB confirming that a significantly higher uplift than the DHSC assumption is required.
Read more about the changes: GP contract 2024/25 changes
Read the press release and statement from Katie: BMA accepts 2025/26 contract for GPs in England as a ‘starting point’ – BMA media centre – BMA
Additional documents:
Flu and COVID-19 Seasonal Vaccination Programme: Autumn/Winter 2025/26
NHS England has published the Flu and COVID-19 Seasonal Vaccination Programme: Autumn/ Winter 2025/26 letter
This sets out the eligible groups for flu and COVID-19 vaccination in autumn/winter 2025/26, confirms the timing of the campaign (main campaign starting on Wednesday 01 October 2025, with flu vaccinations in children and pregnant women from Monday 01 September 2025), and lays out next steps.
Following the Government acceptance of JCVI’s advice on the COVID-19 programme, today NHS England has published the Flu and COVID-19 Seasonal Vaccination Programme: Autumn/ Winter 2025/26 letter
This sets out the eligible groups for flu and COVID-19 vaccination in autumn/winter 2025/26, confirms the timing of the campaign (main campaign starting on Wednesday 01 October 2025, with flu vaccinations in children and pregnant women from Monday 01 September 2025), and lays out next steps.
The announced and authorised cohorts eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine in autumn/winter 2025/26 are:
- Residents in a care home for older adults
- All adults aged 75 years and over
- Persons aged 6 months and over who are immunosuppressed, as defined in tables 3 and 4 of the COVID-19 chapter of the Green Book (here).
The letter outlines the importance of offering other vaccinations alongside the seasonal programme to those that are eligible, where it is appropriate and clinically safe to do so. It particularly emphasises the importance of offering the RSV vaccine to those eligible at the earliest opportunity to give them vital protection ahead of winter.
This has been published here on our website: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/flu-and-covid-19-seasonal-vaccination-programme-autumn-winter-2025-26