Introduction

The introduction of the new General Medical Services contract for the payment and reward of general practice and GP practices will inevitably change the way in which primary care is delivered. This practical workbook aims to address how its implementation will work in practice. Written in the interactive Roy Lilley workbook style with think boxes, hazard warnings, tips, and comment boxes, it deals with the implications, impact, and implementation of the New Contract, questioning the contract's impact on patients and the provision of services.

It is an essential guide for general practitioners, primary care managers, practice staff, and trainers; and for all those that have an involvement in primary care and the implementation of the new contract. GPs, practices, and PCOs need as much guidance as they can get—from the General Practitioners Committee, the NHS Confederation, and also from books such as this. The more advice that they can turn to and the earlier they can get the help they need, the better. So I welcome Roy's book as a valuable contribution.

The book is primarily an informative summary of the contract documents and a practical toolkit for putting the contract into action. I too want to see practice teams making the contract work, and this book will help many of them to do so.

John Chisholm in the Foreword