The National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts and Personal Medical Services Agreements) (Amendment) Regulations 2026

Schedule 1 Amendments to the National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts) Regulations 2015

Regulation 2 Patient choice: pharmaceutical services 1 In regulation 58— (a) for the heading substitute “Patient choice: pharmaceutical services”; (b) after paragraph (2), insert— (2A) The contractor must, where the patient has a nominated dispenser, consult the patient, or the patient’s authorised person, as to their choice of dispenser in respect of each order for drugs, medicines or appliances made by a prescriber under regulation 56. ; (c) for paragraph (4) substitute— (4) A contractor must not seek to persuade a patient, or a patient’s authorised person, to nominate a dispenser recommended by the prescriber or the contractor. (5) The contractor must direct the patient, or the patient’s authorised person, to the relevant information made available by NHS England about all chemists who are available in the patient’s chosen area and who are able to provide the required service where— (a) a patient does not have a nominated dispenser; (b) a patient, or a patient’s authorised person, asks the contractor to recommend a chemist whom the patient or the patient’s authorised person might nominate as the patient’s dispenser; or (c) the contractor refers a patient to a pharmaceutical service. . Online consultation tool 2 In regulation 71ZD (patient online services: provision of an online consultation tool), for paragraph (2) substitute— (2) An “online consultation tool” is an online facility provided using appropriate software which satisfies the condition in paragraph (2A) and through which a patient, or an appropriate person acting on behalf of a person to whom paragraph (4) applies, may make— (a) a request for advice or information related to the patient’s health, or (b) a clinical or administrative request. (2A) The condition in this paragraph is that the online facility does not limit the number of requests using the online consultation tool that can be made during core hours or during any period of time within core hours. . Collection of data relating to use of the online consultation tool and video consultations 3 For regulation 74I substitute— Collection of data relating to use of the online consultation tool and video consultations 74I (1) The contractor must make available to NHS England such information as is specified by NHS England that is available to the contractor in connection with use of the online consultation tool under regulation 71ZD and video consultations under regulation 71ZF. (2) The contractor must make information available to NHS England under paragraph (1) within such reasonable time frame as may be specified by NHS England. . Information relating to NHS staff surveys and the Lung Cancer Screening Programme 4 After regulation 74J (recording and reviewing patient safety events), insert— NHS staff surveys 74K (1) The contractor must make available to NHS England such information as specified by NHS England in connection with staff surveys that relate to the contractor’s staff. (2) The contractor must make information available to NHS England under paragraph (1) within such reasonable time frame as may be specified by NHS England. Information relating to the Lung Cancer Screening Programme 74L (1) A contractor must allow the extraction by NHS England, or by persons authorised by NHS England, of data reasonably required for the purpose of the Lung Cancer Screening Programme, from the record that the contractor is required to keep under regulation 67 by such means, and at such intervals, as are notified to the contractor by NHS England. (2) The contractor must co-operate, in so far as is reasonable, with NHS England, or persons authorised by NHS England, in relation to data extractions under paragraph (1). (3) In this regulation, “Lung Cancer Screening Programme” means the national programme arranged by NHS England of lung health checks for the purpose of detecting and diagnosing lung cancer, for persons identified by NHS England as recommended for such checks. . Digital practice area map 5 In regulation 77 (annual return and review), in paragraph (1), after “a digital practice area map”, insert “, for approval by NHS England”. Contact with the practice 6 In Schedule 3 (other contractual terms), in paragraph 4 (contact with the practice)— (a) in sub-paragraph (2), at the beginning, for “The” substitute “Subject to sub-paragraph (2A), the”; (b) after sub-paragraph (2), insert— (2A) The contractor must not ask a patient to contact the practice on another day. ; (c) in sub-paragraph (3), at the beginning, for “The” substitute “For matters which the contractor has identified as clinically urgent, the”; (d) after sub-paragraph (3), insert— (3A) For matters which the contractor has identified as not clinically urgent, the appropriate response must be provided before the end of the next working day after contact. . Referral pathways and Directory of Services 7 In Schedule 3, after paragraph 11B, insert— Referral pathways 11C (1) NHS England may notify the contractor of referral pathways that apply to the referral of patients for other services under the Act. (2) The contractor must, where clinically appropriate, comply with any relevant referral pathways notified under paragraph (1), prior to referring a patient for services under the Act. (3) In this paragraph— “Advice and Guidance” means arrangements established by NHS England to enable contractors to obtain consultant-led clinical advice about the management of a patient for the purpose of informing clinical decision making in relation to a referral; “referral pathways” means arrangements, such as Advice and Guidance, determined by NHS England as applying to the referral of a patient for a service under the Act, including any locally determined arrangements that apply in relation to the contractor’s practice area. Directory of Services 11D (1) The contractor must record in the Directory of Services an electronic mail address nominated for the purpose of communicating clinical information relating to the contractor's patients with health service providers. (2) The contractor must monitor the electronic mail address nominated under paragraph (1) at least once per day during core hours. (3) In paragraph (1), “Directory of Services” means the national directory of services provided as part of the health service in England, managed by NHS England. . Co-operation with NHS England: performance management 8 In Schedule 3, Part 1 (provision of services), after paragraph 16 insert— Co-operation with NHS England: performance management 16A The contractor must co-operate with NHS England, in so far as is reasonable, in relation to the performance and improvement of services provided under the contract, including co-operating with the provision of any support, performance review or improvement activity. . GP registration 9 In Schedule 3, in paragraph 18 (application for inclusion in a list of patients), after sub-paragraph (4) insert— (4A) Where the contractor receives an application by the method referred to in sub-paragraph (3)(a), they must submit the information provided in the application via the online registration service referred to in sub-paragraph (3)(b), except where the contractor’s computerised clinical system does not facilitate interconnectivity with the online registration service supplied by NHS England. . Sub-contracting out of hours services 10 In Schedule 3, in paragraph 45(4) (sub-contracting out of hours services), for “may” substitute “must”. Information to be included in practice leaflets 11 In Schedule 3, for paragraph 48(p) (information to be included in practice leaflets) substitute— (p) the opening hours of the practice premises and all means of contacting the contractor throughout the core hours as required by paragraph 4; .