Primary care initiatives
Primary care initiatives Neighbourhood development* Improving quality and reducing variation* Extended access Alternative means of booking and accessing consultations Universal offer Primary care at the front door (at UCLH and Royal Free) * Priority initiatives for 2017/18
Neighbourhood development The CCG is supporting the development of GP neighbourhoods, which involve general practices working together to plan, coordinate and deliver an extended range of services for people in their neighbourhood. To achieve this, they will work closely with local people and other health and social care organisations. So that more people receive care in the community, rather than in hospital. And so that the range of available services can be tailored to meet the particular needs of the people living in that neighbourhood. The aim is for patients to experience better coordinated care closer to their home. Neighbourhoods are currently developing as organisations. Neighbourhoods will begin delivering services from October 2017.
Improving quality and reducing variation The CCG is investing in the development of Quality Improvement Support Teams (QISTs) expert teams which will support practices in Camden s neighbourhoods to improve service quality and make it more consistent. For example, by supporting organisational improvements or supporting practices to share learning. To ensure all patients have equal access to high quality services and that we can demonstrate that this is happening. Patients will be offered services of a consistently high quality. The CCG will make initial funding available in 2017 for neighbourhoods to deliver quality improvement linked to some specific services provided by GPs locally.
Extended access Same day and pre-bookable GP appointments at accessible locations for all Camden registered patients creating access from 8am-8pm, 7 days a week. To improve patient experience and satisfaction with GP access and to reduce unnecessary A&E attendances. The service makes it easier for people to see a GP at a time that is convenient for them through providing additional GP appointments and access in the evenings and at weekends. Weekend and evening GP appointments are currently available through Haverstock Healthcare. This will transition to an enhanced service provided by AT Medics from December 2017.
Alternative means of booking & accessing consultations This initiative is exploring a range of new and improved ways for patients to book and have appointments with their GP, including e-consultations, telephone triage and using the 'patient online' service. There is potential for a much more effective use of technology in local services, to support patients to access services in different ways. Currently there is some inconsistency in the online services available at different practices. Provide patients with more efficient and convenient access to communicate with clinicians. It will also make some services more efficient for professionals which will free up time for health care providers to do other things. Patient online work is underway and being led by the IT and Systems team to help GP practices meet national targets. E-consultation and telephone triage pilot to be launched September 2017 using an app that integrates with the 111 pilot which is already running.
Universal offer To provide equal access for all Camden registered patients to an extended range of services in primary care. This includes providing care for people at the end of their life, asthma services for children and young people and a range of support for people with long term health conditions. Practices can deliver all schemes themselves or collaborate with another practice to ensure access for their patients. In the past there have been differences in the range of services that patients can access from their GP surgery. This will improve access to services for patients, and will also improve people's health by providing more preventative care in general practice. The Universal Offer started on 1 April 2017. All practices are expected to provide access to the full range of services to their patients by 1 November 2017.
Primary Care @ Front Door (UCLH / RFH) To co-locate a primary care service in the A&E department at UCLH from 4-10pm, seven days a week to see and treat patients who do not need to be seen by an A&E practitioner. The service is an expanded version of a pilot started in November 2016 and is jointly designed with UCLH and Islington CCG. The aim is to reduce pressure on A&E, improve patient flow in A&E and provide treatment in a more cost effective way. Patients will be seen and treated in the most appropriate place for them. Patients requiring specialist emergency care will have more A&E resource focused on them. UCLH is due to go live in September 2017.