The Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) is the most significant financial investment element within the Network Contract DES. It is designed to provide financial reimbursement for Primary Care Networks (PCNs) to build workforce capacity through the creation of new roles. The aim of the scheme is to build and utilise the additional roles to solve the workforce shortage in general practice.
Under the Primary Care Network DES, networks will be able to recruit new roles to expand their care team with a forecast of 26,000 additional staff working in general practice by 2024. On average each PCN will have approximately 7 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) staff in 2020/21 rising to 20 FTE by 2023/24 through the scheme.
The funding from the scheme is designed to cover the salaries and on costs. PCNs can also use the allocated funding to cover the costs of recruiting, apart from management fees, from a third party.
Each PCN will have the flexibility to determine which roles to recruit from a core list of roles based on their patient population requirements. Although some roles were to be 70% reimbursable when the ARRS was first released, it has since been agreed that all roles are 100% reimbursable, affording the extra flexibility for networks.
Watch the animation below which explains how primary care teams are expanding to include new roles such as those recruited using the ARRS.
Listen to the Primary Care Knowledge Boost Podcast in which Dr Ali Lea and Lesley Royle-Pryor discuss new roles in primary care and the development of existing roles in general practice.
The early new roles
The initial ARRS new roles included:
- Clinical Pharmacists
- Social prescribing link worker
- Physician Associates
- First contact Physiotherapist
- First contact Community Paramedic
These initial roles were identified as ones for which personnel were available and were already providing proven benefit within some practices.
The latest new roles
During 2020-21, PCNs can recruit and employ the following roles as part of the scheme:
New Roles Strategic group
The New to Primary Care Strategic Group seeks to provide assurance on the value of the new roles and educate PCN’s on the appeal, expertise and clinical benefits each of the new ARRS roles can bring to their MDT’s by providing educational resources in a range of mediums to increase understanding and appetite, allowing PCN’s to make informed decisions about the types of roles they recruit.
Our AHP Ambassadors
Our Greater Manchester Allied Health Professionals (AHP) Ambassadors will share learning about how the ARRS roles are supporting Primary Care Networks (PCNs) to improve working practices and deliver better patient outcomes.
Our AHP Ambassadors will create a series of 16 podcasts, interviews and videos to showcase the new to primary care roles and highlight the added value that they bring.
AHP professional bodies
Click on the links below to visit the websites of the relevant AHP professional bodies.
- British Dietetic Association https://www.bda.uk.com
- Chartered Society of Physiotherapists https://www.csp.org.uk
- College of Paramedics https://www.collegeofparamedics.co.uk
- College of Podiatry https://cop.org.uk
- Royal College of Occupational Therapists https://www.rcot.co.uk
Employers educational webinars – New roles in primary care
We are leading a series of employers educational webinars to showcase new roles in primary care helping employers in Greater Manchester make informed choices about the roles they recruit using the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS). Click on the webinar headings below to reveal and watch videos of the webinars.
Physiotherapists, Paramedics and First Contact Practitioners – 26th January 2021
This webinar took place on 26th January 2021 and focussed on First Contact Practitioners including Physiotherapists and Paramedics.
Download the main webinar presentation | the additonal FCP presentation
Dietitian, Occupational Therapist and Advanced Contact Practitioner – 16th February 2021
This webinar took place on 16th February 2021 and gave employers an opportunity to learn about the ARRS roles of Dietitian, Occupational Therapist and Advanced Contact Practitioner.
Care Co-ordinator, Health Coach and Social Links Prescriber – 23rd February 2021
This webinar took place on 23rd February 2021 and gave employers an opportunity to learn about the ARRS roles of Care Co-ordinator, Health Coach and Social Links Prescriber.
Pharmacy Technician and Physician Associate – 2nd March 2021
This webinar took place on 2nd March 2021 and gave employers an opportunity to learn about the ARRS roles of Pharmacy Technician and Physician Associate.
Clinical Pharmacist and Mental Health Practitioner – 16th March 2021
This webinar took place on 16th March 2021 and gave employers an opportunity to learn about the ARRS roles of Clinical Pharmacist and Mental Health Practitioner.
Nurse Associate and Trainee Nurse Associate – 23rd March 2021
This webinar took place on 23rd March 2021 and gave employers an opportunity to learn about the ARRS roles of Nurse Associate and Trainee Nurse Associate.