GPC England recently wrote to NHS England about practices adversely affected by a significant flaw in the appointments mapping data processing for GP surgeries using the TPP SystmOne clinical system.

It appears that although practices accurately mapped appointment slots in line with the indicator, an issue with the data collection/processing software meant that many did not achieve the necessary targets, as during processing for General Practice Appointments Data, the legacy mapping often persisted, rather than utilising the updated mapping by the practice. Some practices have lost significant sums of money; in some cases, running into thousands of pounds.

NHSE has now acknowledged that due to the issues we highlighted, GPAD will not be able to serve as a robust source of achievement data for 2023/24 and the usual route to correcting data locally through the declaration process is likely to require a disproportionate amount of local effort this year, given the unique difficulties in being able to access alternative local appointment data.

For this reason, in 2023/24, all PCNs have been considered to have earned 100% of the points available for this indicator.