Health Management and Policy Alert

Delivery plan for recovering primary care access: what you need to know

NHS Confederation - 
This briefing aims to summarise the key areas relevant to integrated care boards in NHS England's delivery plan for the recovery of primary care access.

• Briefing

Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care

NHS England - 

This document sets out NHS England's and the Department of Health and Social Care's plan to improve access to primary care, better support patients to manage their own health, and to modernise general practice for future generations.

• Plan
• Press release

GP referrals: part 2 – the hidden waiting list

Healthwatch England - 

HealthWatch commissioned Panelbase to carry out an online survey covering two distinct groups who had an appointment with their GP practice in the past 12 months. Firstly, those who either expected or requested a referral for tests, diagnosis, or treatment, but didn't get one, and secondly, those who were referred for tests, diagnosis or treatment. Panelbase heard from 2,144 people overall. The figures quoted in this briefing are based on the 1,518 patients who fall into the second group - those who were referred for tests, diagnosis, or treatment. The survey was also shared via the Healthwatch network (1,825 respondents overall of which 1,458 respondents were in the “referred group”) and comments from both surveys are used to support the analysis and provide quotes for this briefing. Considering how long it can take for a patient to be told they are being referred, combined with the time it takes to get onto a waiting list, the total time the patient has been suffering from their symptoms or condition can be much longer than official waiting time statistics would suggest. There are gaps in measurement for some parts of the referrals process – creating a dangerous blind spot. This briefing shares people’s experiences and the impact behind these figures.

• Briefing
• Press release

GP referrals: part 1 – the referrals black hole

Healthwatch England - 

HealthWatch commissioned Panelbase to carry out an online survey covering two distinct groups who had an appointment with their GP practice in the past 12 months. Firstly, those who either expected or requested a referral for tests, diagnosis, or treatment, but didn't get one, and secondly, those who were referred for tests, diagnosis or treatment. Panelbase heard from 2,144 people overall. The figures quoted in this briefing are based on the 626 patients who fall into the first group. Fieldwork was completed October 2022. The survey was also shared via the Healthwatch network (1,825 respondents overall, of which 357 respondents were in the “not referred group”) and comments from both surveys are used to support the analysis and provide quotes for this briefing. The briefing shares people’s experiences and the impact behind these figures.

• Briefing
• Press release

Fit for the future: GP pressures 2023

Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) - 

This report, based on a survey of general practice staff, highlights the current workload and workforce pressures facing GPs and their teams, and the impact these are having on patients. GPs and their staff carried out 4.6 million (9 per cent) more appointments in December 2022 and January 2023 than in December 2019 and January 2020; however, the number of fully qualified full-time-equivalent GPs has dropped by 843 in the same period. The report sets out the RCGP's recommendations for the government to tackle the workforce and workload crisis in general practice, and support GPs and their teams to meet the health care challenges of the 21st century.

• Report
• Press release

Draft QNI field specific SPQ standards

Queen’s Nursing Institute - 

The QNI has published draft standards for six specialisms in community nursing and these are now available for public consultation. The Field Specific Standards are designed to underpin and support Specialist Practitioner Qualifications offered by Higher Education Institutions in the UK. The six draft standards apply to education and practice in: adult social care nursing; community children’s nursing; community mental health nursing; district nursing; general practice nursing; and inclusion health nursing. The standards are available for consultation until 7th March 2023.

• Draft standards
• More detail

The state of community health services in England

Nuffield Trust - 

Community health services help people to stay healthy and live independently at home, but it has proved difficult to realise a long-standing ambition to deliver more services out of hospital. This explainer describes what community services are, who uses and provides them, who pays for them, and some of the challenges they face.

• Explainer

Social prescribing: reference guide and technical annex for primary care networks

NHS England -
This guide provides additional information to help primary care networks introduce the social prescribing link worker role into their multi-disciplinary teams as part of the expansion of the primary care workforce introduced through the Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service (DES) 22/23 Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme. It also provides information to deliver the proactive social prescribing element of the Network Contract DES Personalised Care service specification.

• Guidance
• NHS England - publications

The future of pharmacy: manifesto report

All-Party Pharmacy Group - 

This report calls for urgent action to deliver on the potential of pharmacy teams and relieve significant funding and workforce pressures. It highlights the need for a new “strategic vision” for pharmacy and highlights opportunities for the pharmacy network to be empowered to deliver even more for patients. However, the manifesto also underlines the very real risk that this opportunity may be lost if significant and ongoing pressures are not addressed.

• Report
• Press release

A summary of discussions in National Voices’ roundtable on the future of community pharmacy on behalf of the National Pharmacy Association

National Voices -
On 12 October 2022, National Voices convened a group of its members and lived experience partners on behalf of the National Pharmacy Association to discuss the future role of community pharmacy within primary care and more widely. Topics discussed included the potential for community pharmacists to offer more services, continuity of care, digital approaches to service delivery, and the issue of trust.

• Briefing
• National Voices - publications