£250 Capita compensation for GPs, but not for pharmacies
There is no sign that pharmacies will receive compensation for Capita's ongoing failings, despite GPs receiving £250 for their troubles.
GPs will receive a "one-off" payment of £250 from NHS England, as "an acknowledgement" of the extra work caused by service supplier Capita's overhaul of patient records, the commissioner told C+D on Monday (March 6).
However, NHS England would not confirm to C+D whether pharmacies would receive similar reimbursement for their own ongoing issues with Capita, which range from market entry delays to issues processing enhanced service payments.
"The £250 payment, which is being made to GPs by NHS England, is an acknowledgement of the additional workload that GP practices may have experienced as a result of the changes to the movement of medical records – which is only undertaken in general practice," NHS England said in response to C+D's question.
Since 2015, Capita has been contracted by NHS England to deliver support services to pharmacies, as well as to general practices, optometrists and dentists.
The supplier has been dogged by complaints about poor service, lengthy delays, and failure to meet key targets, which contractors claim has left them thousands of pounds out of pocket.
On Wednesday (March 8), C+D exclusively revealed that contractors in the Avicenna pharmacy group are owed around £59,000 from Capita in grant payments for hosting pre-registration trainees.
Have you been left out of pocket by Capita's failings?