Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that mental health is prioritised within the Primary Care Network Contract Direct Enhanced Service Specifications 2020-21.

The Network Contract Direct Enhanced Service Specifications published in December 2019 have placed a clear emphasis on other providers of community services, including mental health services, being able to work alongside Primary Care Networks (PCNs) to ensure delivery of the multidisciplinary elements of the proposed new service model.

The 2019/20 General Practitioner contract that came into force in April 2019 is the most ambitious in a generation, creating a five-year framework for general practitioners. It supports the NHS Long Term Plan by increasing primary care funding and establishing new PCNs across the country. The PCN service specifications form part of annual GP contract negotiations between NHS England and the General Practitioners Committee of the British Medical Association. Feedback received during engagement on the draft service specifications published in December 2019 has informed ongoing negotiations on the 2020/21 GP contract. NHS England will take a deal to Government for sign-off shortly. The detail within the service specifications are still subject to negotiation and therefore not yet finalised. A statement on the engagement and negotiations can be found at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/2020/01/primary-care-network-service-specifications-and-the-network-des-close-of-engagement/