Questions regarding the provision of GP services since 23 March 2020

Department of Health and Social Care did not have the information requested.

Dear Department of Health and Social Care,

Starting 23 March 2020 the prime Minister ordered the first UK lockdown due to Covid 19.

All GP's in England withdrew normal services and only saw those patients that the receptionist staff vetted as nessecery. A large number of GP's refused to attend thier surgerys thus depriving thier patients of the care they are paid to provide.

This situation has remained permanently in force ever since and continues even now at the date I make this F.O.I. request.

As the government department responsible for health and social care in England, I would like to request the following information in regard to General Practioners (family GP's) in England starting 23 March 2020 to 6 May 2021:

Given that all GP surgeries stopped providing the normal services that they are contracted to do, where they paid the full fees as mandated in thier contract with the NHS?
Were all GP's paid thier normal salery regardless?
Were the GP's who refused to continue thier normal work (ie: holding surgerys) paid thier full salery?
How many GP's refused to attend thier surgerys in person?
How many GP's continued to attend thier surgerys in person?
Now that the current lockdown is due to fully end soon, why has Matt Hancock / Department of Health and Social Care not ordered all GP's to return to work and provide the full range of services that thier contracts require?#
In regards to the above question - if such an order is forthcoming, on which date is it to take effect and what safeguards are being put in place to 1. make sure that every GP returns to work, 2. what penelty is in place for those who do not.

Does the Department of Health and Social Care support, and deem it appropiate, that medically untrained reception staff were given the powers to decide who could see a doctor or not, where even those with cronic illnesses were refused?
Was this officially sanctioned by Matt Hancock / Department of Health and Social Care?
If not then by whom?

Yours faithfully,

Kenny Green

Department of Health and Social Care

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Dear Department of Health and Social Care,

I note that you have not replied to my request which the law states you should have done PROMPTLY within 20 working days and no later than 4 June 2021.

I now ask you to respond to my request in full by return and no later than 11 June 2021.
If you fail to do so I will imediately refer the matter to the Information Commissioner.

Yours faithfully,

Kenny Green

Department of Health and Social Care

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Green,

Please find attached the Department of Health and Social Care's response
to your recent FOI request (our ref: FOI-1328139).

Yours sincerely, 

Le-anne Frankson
Freedom of Information Team
Department of Health and Social Care

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