PCTs urged 'keep contracts simple'

Primary care trusts are being urged not to insert extra clauses in the new GOS contract or cause further confusion by sending out the wrong paperwork to contractors.

A legislative update published on the NHS Primary Care Contracting (PCC) website addressed to PCTs also advises that they should not seek 'unnecessary' information during the transitional period.

The notice states that the DoH, PCC and the optical bodies have received a 'significant number of enquiries' in relation to the introduction of the new contracts on August 1 2008.

The advisory note states: 'Letters sent to contractors and those on the supplementary list should not be used to insert new requirements. This will only confuse everyone. Those currently on a supplementary list are entitled to an automatic transfer to the performers list and this entitlement should not be made conditional, for example by requiring the signing of a new declaration. The DoH view is that by accepting the transfer the practitioner is accepting all relevant undertakings.'