TABLE OF CONTENTS


Introduction

Improving access to general practice remains a top priority in the 2025/26 Network Contract DES. The Capacity and Access element helps practices and PCNs make it easier for patients to get the care they need, whether online, over the phone, or face-to-face.

 

This part of the DES includes two key payments:
  • National Capacity and Access Support Payment (CASP): Automatically paid to PCNs.
  • Capacity and Access Improvement Payment (CAIP):Focuses on two main areas:
    1. Risk Stratification: Supports continuity of care by identifying patients who would benefit from seeing the same clinician regularly.
    2. Modern General Practice Access: Ensures patients can access services consistently, regardless of how they contact the practice.
Practices are expected to use digital tools, improve triage and care navigation, and offer online consultations during core hours.


This support article will show you how to use the Ardens Network Contract DES Dashboard to support your work on Capacity and Access, helping you track progress and meet the necessary requirements.


Accessing the Dashboard

Log in to Ardens Manager.  

 

Select the Contracts icon, followed by Network Contract DES ‘25-26.



Click on the Capacity & Access tab. You can also view the reports within the "Overview" tab.


This dashboard enables GP practices and PCNs to view information from multiple sources, including extracts from the clinical system and National Data Sets from NHS England.

 

The Data tab is organised into six sections to display your achievements in terms of percentage and number of patients compared to the eligible cohort:

 

  • Summary - This section of the dashboard shows relevant data from the GP Patient Survey and the Friends and Family Test.
  • Capacity - This data is part of the National Data Sets for the GP Workforce and PCN Workforce submission that Practices and PCNs must update to their ICB. It details the FTE equivalent for various roles within practices and PCNs.
  • Access - This section examines two specific questions from the GP Patient Survey regarding how easily patients can access the practice via phone and website.
  • Triage - This section details the number of referrals made (or declined) to the Community Pharmacists Consultation Service and shows how many online consultations the practice has performed. This part is coding-based and extracted from your clinical system.
  • Booking - This section features patient experience data, including results from the GP Patient Survey and data from the GPAD Extraction detailing appointment booking wait times.
  • Appointments - This section focuses solely on the GPAD Extraction and covers various metrics around appointment modes, types, and attendance.

 

The Payment tab for Capacity and Access includes an item for Capacity and Access Support Payment which you can track. This payment is distributed in 12 monthly installments and is calculated based on a fixed amount per patient, adjusted according to the PCN list size. 



How to View Reports

To see more details of a report, click the View button next to the report name.


Once you select a report, you can view the corresponding patient list by clicking on the Patients tab. You can refine this list to show all patients, only those who have achieved the indicator, or those who are still outstanding. For more information on using the patient list in Ardens Manager, see our detailed support article Viewing Patient Level Data.
 
Additional insights are available, including patient demographics, staff-level data, and trend analysis. You can also benchmark your data against other practices within your PCN, provided the appropriate data sharing agreement is in place. For step-by-step guidance on using these tools to better understand your data and patient population, explore our detailed support articles

 

If you require any further assistance on the process above, please contact the Ardens Manager Support Team on: support-manager@ardens.org.uk