GP Earnings and Expenses Estimates, 2020/21

Arrangements in place between April 2020 and March 2021

Elements of the GMS contract were frozen with income guaranteed at the outset of the pandemic, for example the suspension of Quality Outcomes Framework (QoF) activity and downturn of enhanced services. The value of a QoF point was increased in line with prevalence.

Practices were required to fully engage and commit to the Covid Centres to help manage the crisis. This included 32 hours additional cover above core hours that was paid to practices to provide this.

With the introduction of the Coronavirus Act, the procedures regarding the payment of sickness benefit were adjusted so that those GPs who were engaged in Covid related work could claim from their first day of illness rather than from the fourth week.   

The commissioning priorities were engagement in the flu vaccination programme and participation in local Covid response.

GPs played a major role in the Covid vaccination programme in Northern Ireland. Payment was made through the Northern Ireland Local Enhanced Service (NILES). GP practices vaccinated clinical at-risk groups as directed by the Chief Medical Officer. The NI LES COVID-19 Vaccination Enhanced Service was £12.58 per dose, and additional support money was provided in recognition of the challenges of social distancing, staff training, data collection and possible indemnity costs. Further additional support money was made available to recognise challenges relating to vaccine supply on the basis that practices use VMS (additional £100 per 1000 patients per round of vaccinations). The rollout to other groups was at Trust operated Mass Vaccination Centres.

GPs in Northern Ireland also delivered the flu vaccination programme. £1m additional funding to support the flu vaccination programme was made available in 2020/21.

It is likely that the increase in expenses for Salaried GPs in Northern Ireland is explained by the fact there is no state backed indemnity insurance in Northern Ireland.

Table 4.1: GMS contractor GPs - mean earnings, expenses and income before tax by dispensing status, Northern Ireland, 2019/20 and 2020/21

^Notes:

^{1. Statistical significance relates only to the fact of a year-on-year change in income before tax. See 'Statistical significance explained'.}

^{2. Further expenses breakdowns are published in the Excel Time Series, available under Resources on the Overview page.}

^{3. Results for dispensing GPs are suppressed due to low sample numbers.}

Median gross earnings, total expenses and income before tax

Table 4.2: GMS contractor GPs - median earnings, expenses and income before tax, Northern Ireland, 2019/20 and 2020/21

^Note:

^{1. The median figures are all lower than the mean figures in Table 4.1 which indicates that there is a relatively small number of contractor GPs with high earnings increasing the mean figures.}

Breakdown of expenses for contractor GPs

Table 4.3: GMS contractor GPs - breakdown of mean expenses by dispensing status, Northern Ireland, 2020/21

^Notes:

^{1. Results for dispensing GPs are suppressed due to small sample sizes and so comparisons between dispensers and non-dispensers are not possible.}

^{2. Further expenses breakdowns are published in the Excel Time Series, available under Resources on the Overview page.}

Table 4.4: GMS salaried GPs - mean earnings, expenses and income before tax, Northern Ireland, 2019/20 and 2020/21

^Note:

^{1.Statistical significance relates only to the fact of a year-on-year change in income before tax. See 'Statistical significance explained'.}

Median gross earnings, total expenses and income before tax

Table 4.5: GMS Salaried GPs - median earnings, expenses and income before tax, Northern Ireland, 2019/20 and 2020/21

^Note:

^{1. The median figures are all lower than the mean figures in Table 4.4, indicating that a small number of salaried GPs on high earnings are increasing the mean estimates.}

Table 4.6: GMS combined GPs - mean earnings, expenses and income before tax, Northern Ireland, 2019/20 and 2020/21

^Notes:

^{1.Statistical significance relates only to the fact of a year-on-year change in income before tax. See 'Statistical significance explained'.}

^{2. Perhaps because contractor GPs account for the majority of the Northern Ireland GP report population, the year-on-year changes in earnings and expenses estimates for contractor and salaried GPs combined are similar to those of contractor GPs alone.}

Table 4.7: GMS Combined GPs - median income before tax, Northern Ireland, 2019/20 and 2020/21

^Note: 

^{1. As was the case for contractor and salaried GPs separately, the median income before tax estimates are lower than the mean for both years for combined GPs in Northern Ireland.}