Primary Care, Primary Care Networks, Neighbourhood Health
At a time when everyone is being asked to do more with less, neighbourhood care continues to stay at the top of the agenda. But what does it really mean to shift care closer to communities, and what’s needed to make that shift work on the ground?
We recently attended the PCPN Conference which brought together leaders from across Primary Care. Over a series of panels and keynotes across two days, leaders explored the future of workforce and collaboration in primary care.
Here are the key themes that stuck with us.
Reframing the "Left Shift"
Many of us have heard about the ‘left shift’. However, in a panel led by Duncan Gooch, chair of NHS Confederation’s Primary Care Network, the discussion honed in on the growing discomfort with the term. It cited that a ‘left shift’ sounded like more responsibility would be dumped on primary care, without the resources to match.
But some leaders are reframing it. Rather than focusing on what’s shifting left, they’re focused on preventing a right drift: keeping people as close to their communities as possible, with the right support to stay well and independent.
The push to scale without flattening what works locally
An example shared was Sutton PCN. Here, they’ve already started to integrate across their neighbourhood, using Pharmacy First and launching a community hospital with shorter stays. But a big recurring question across the conference was: how do we scale what works?
One answer was coalitions. Not just top-down integration, but collective ownership across all the different services that currently exist in primary care — with a shared vision for patients to see the right person, in the right place, at the right time.
Collaboration will need a new kind of leadership
A recurring theme was around collaboration, and the need to find those willing to drive it. As changes to ICBs shift responsibility closer to the community, discussions highlighted the opportunity this offered providers themselves to lead integration: if they have the capacity, support and mandate to do so.
In the talk ‘Enhancing Access and Collaboration’, one panellist used the analogy of an airport experience: as a passenger, you move between baggage handlers, airline staff, security and catering — different parts of the system, but all pieces fitting together to create a seamless user experience. The panel discussed this as the vision for primary care: multiple providers resulting in one joined-up journey.
Interoperability
One of the biggest buzz words within the NHS. Discussions highlighted that in many cases, the network of services to deliver the right patient care is already there, it’s just not joined up yet. And with a workforce stretched as it is (and likely to become even more so with upcoming ICB structural changes), many pointed out that addressing this was a key priority.
For example, Pharmacy First can alleviate pressure on general practice. However, it only works if every pharmacy can prescribe, anddigital notes only help if everyone across the entire system has access. Community teams can do more, but not without visibility of the patient journey. In ‘How can we optimise our primary care workforce?’ panellists discussed a growing demand for:
- Shared notes across systems
- AI tools to support scribing and triage
- InterBetter appointment flows across pathways
- Operability between providers at neighbourhood level
Final thoughts
We came away from the event with one clear takeaway:
The ambition is there, and in many ways neighbourhood care is already happening. But the success of delivery and scaling these services will rely heavily on how well we connect the dots, across people, data, systems and settings.
As more care moves into the community, our focus at Lantum will stay on helping local systems manage workforce in a way that supports this shift — practically, collaboratively and sustainably. To discuss how we can support your PCN or Federation, get in touch with a member of our team below.
