What does ‘accountable’ mean?

The contract requires the named accountable GP to take responsibility for the co-ordination of all appropriate services required under the contract and ensure they are delivered to each of their patients where required (based on the clinical judgement of the named accountable GP).

The contract remains ‘practice based’, so overall responsibility for patient care has not changed. This is largely a role of oversight, with the requirements being introduced to reassure patients that they have one GP within the practice who is responsible for ensuring that this work is carried out on their behalf.

You can see any of the GP’s at the practice, it doesn’t need to, and won’t necessarily, be your named accountable GP.

The role of the named GP will not:

  • take on responsibility for the work of other doctors or health professionals;
  • take on 24-hour responsibility for the patient, or have to change their working hours:
  • imply personal availability for GPs throughout the working week;
  • be the only GP or clinician who will provide care to that patient.

There is no condition for patients to see the named GP when they book an appointment with the practice.

Patients are entitled to choose to see any GP or nurse in the practice in line with current arrangements.