Media centre

Press release: NHS Employers and the BMA announce guidance on five new directed enhanced services (DES)

04 Sep 2008

NHS Employers, which represents trusts in England on workforce issues, and the General Practitioners Committee (GPC) of the BMA have published joint guidance to primary care trusts and general practices on the five new clinical directed enhanced services (DES) for 2008/09.

The new clinical directed enhanced services are being funded by £50m which has been specifically earmarked for this purpose. The five new DES are;

• measures to improve treatment of heart failure;
• spreading best practice on osteoporosis treatment;
• annual health checks for people with learning disabilities on local authority registers;
• better data recording to help improve patient care for people from black and minority ethnic groups;
• increased support to overcome harmful drinking.

The £50m forms part of the £105m investment in GP services agreed as part of the 2008/09 General Medical Services (GMS) contract negotiations. 

Andrew Clapperton, Head of Primary Care Contracting, NHS Employers, said:

"We are pleased that guidance on the five new direct enhanced services (DES) for 2008/09 has now been agreed and published.  This will allow Primary Care Trusts and general practices to finalise their plans for 2008/09 and put in place services that will benefit these patient groups."

Dr Laurence Buckman, Chairman of the BMA's GP Committee, said:

"We are pleased that this guidance has been finalised so that GPs can plan how their practices are going to work with these new enhanced services."

Notes for editors

1. NHS Employers represents trusts in England on workforce issues and helps to ensure that the NHS is a place where people want to work.
2. For more information on the five new directed enhanced services (DES) and to view the NHS Employers/BMA joint guidance please see www.nhsemployers.org/pay-conditions/primary-893.cfm
3. The Department of Health has today also published a number of documents that support the implementation of other parts of the GMS contract agreement including;
* final guidance and the legal documentation supporting the extended opening hours DES;
* legal amendments to support the implementation of the Doctors' and Dentists' Review Body (DDRB) pay recommendation for 2008/09, which will be in effect from October.
4. For more information on the final guidance and legal documentation supporting the extended opening hours DES please visit the Department of Health website.

5.  For more information on the legal amendments to support the implementation of the Doctors' and Dentists' Review Body DDRB pay recommendation for 2008/09 please visit the Department of Health website.

Contact details

The press office provides a comprehensive service to keep journalists informed about the work of NHS Employers.

If you have a media enquiry, please contact the press office team:

• Julia Toft
  0207 074 3260 or julia.toft@nhsemployers.org
• Georgina Vincent
  020 7074 3308 or georgina.vincent@nhsemployers.org

For out of hours media enquiries, please contact the duty press officer on 07880 500726

Back to media centre