On 26 September 2022, Dr Amanda Doyle (NHS England’s National Director for Primary Care and Community Services) published a letter setting out NHS England’s proposals to support general practice and primary care networks (PCNs) through winter and beyond, acknowledging the sustained and significant pressure this period takes on primary care.
The letter outlines various actions (summarised below) aimed at expanding capacity while reducing workload and administrative burden:
- A framework is set out for ICBs to assess the needs of practices and PCNs, identify practical and supportive interventions and prioritise resources. The ICBs will also seek to identify where potential additional capital could be used to support primary care, although additional funding is not specifically promised. Proposed key lines of enquiry include patient contact and communication, use of data for improvement, operational efficiency, clinical and administrative workspace, and enhanced access.
- Varying the Network Contract Direct Enhanced Service to:
- Introduce more flexibility in the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, including the addition of a GP assistant and digital and transformation lead roles, intended to reduce administrative burden for primary care teams and optimise use of digital tools
- Deferring certain investment and impact fund (IIF) indicators (including deferring the need for a percentage of patients to see a GP within two weeks of contacting the practice) in order to reallocate £37 million into monthly capacity and access support payments to PCNs for clinical services and workforce
- Make other IIF indicators easier to achieve by reducing thresholds and changing their definitions
- Remove certain requirements for clinical staff to undertake additional or refresher training
- Change anticipatory care requirements
- Commissioning the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges to identify actionable insights to seek to reduce bureaucracy and primary to secondary care interface.
The letter also promises that these actions represent the beginning of a longer journey in support of primary and community care services into integrated neighbourhood teams. The full letter and annexes can be found here.
For further information, please contact:
Alison Oliver, Partner, Hill Dickinson
alison.oliver@hilldickinson.com
