Clinical Negligence Scheme for General Practice (CNSGP)
The document (CNSGP) outlines the scope of the CNSGP.
If you are a Practice Nurse who is employed by a General Practice you will be covered under CNSGP for any NHS services provided by you on behalf of your general practice employer.
Example: If your Practice provides ear irrigation on the NHS (i.e. patients are not charged) nurses will be covered under the CNSGP.
NHS Resolution have clarified that non-NHS travel Vaccination are not covered by the CNSGP scheme, however additional cover can be purchased through MDOs or nursing unions.
From the NHS Resolutions Website:
If the activity consists of, or is in connection with, the provision of primary medical services under a general medical services (GMS), personal medical services (PMS) or alternative provider medical services (APMS) contract, or APMS contract under schedule 2L of NHS Standard Contracts, any clinical negligence liability incurred arising from that activity is covered under the scheme.
If the activity is not being delivered under one of the above contracts, it is covered by the scheme if the answers to all the following questions are affirmative:
- Is it an activity that consists of, or is in connection with, the provision of NHS services?
- Are those NHS services being carried out by or for a provider whose principal activity is to provide NHS primary medical services (i.e. the NHS services are provided as part of general practice) or under a sub-contracting arrangement with such a provider?
- Is the activity in question connected to the diagnosis, care or treatment of a patient?
NHS Resolution has published new resources outlining whether a claim relating to general practice should be notified directly to NHS Resolution or the relevant medical defence organisation.
This includes a reporting flowchart, covering both Clinical Negligence Scheme for General Practice (CNSGP) and Existing Liabilities Scheme for General Practice (ELSGP), along with a short animation to help support future enquiries.
There is also an updated scheme scope table explaining in detail what is covered under each scheme.
GPCE has provided the following update:
You will need additional cover from their medical defence organisations for performance issues (such as those relating to NHS England and the GMC) together with support with coroners’ queries, and matters referred to the Ombudsman. Colleagues should also confirm that their medical defence organisation also covers them for non-NHS services delivered individually, or by their practice. Non-NHS clinical services (eg DVLA, local authority safeguarding etc) are not covered by CNSGP.
