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<p>All general practitioner (GP) practices are expected to provide maternity medical
services for their registered patients. Practices may however exceptionally choose
to opt out of providing such services e.g. on workload grounds. Practices which choose
to opt out will relinquish a proportion of their global sum income – currently 2.1%.
It is the responsibility of the lead commissioner locally (NHS England or clinical
commissioning groups under delegated agreement) to ensure the patients of opted out
practices can continue to access these services e.g. commissioning the service from
a nearby alternative practice.</p><p> </p><p>NHS England and the Department do not
collate data on the number of practices that have opted out but financial information
gives some indication as payments to these practices are reduced to fund the re-commissioning
of services. Financial data from 2016/17 suggests that up to four practices out of
the 7,523 opted out of maternity medical services<ins class="ministerial">.</ins><del
class="ministerial">, which includes the six week postnatal check-up.</del></p><p>
</p><p>NHS England and the Department do not collect information on the number of
patients who have their post-natal check at their GP practice.</p>
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