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Only 10-15 per cent of GP practices are using all three of the “modern” patient access tools at the centre of NHS England’s primary care recovery plan, its GP lead has said.
Amanda Doyle, national director for primary care and community services, told HSJ this was its estimate of the share of practices which already have in place all three of: digital phone systems; online messaging; and modern triage, response and care navigation.
The primary care recovery plan, published by the government and NHSE this month, says these are prerequisites for offering “modern general practice access”.
NHSE last week sent integrated care boards a new “checklist of actions” summarising what is needed to implement the plan and the GP contract for 2023-24.
“The plan is not a magic wand, but it does make those first steps to improving access and how we manage demand,” said Dr Doyle.
“So, we need to be able to manage that demand, so practices can focus on long-term issues such as delivering the Fuller stocktake and improving health outcomes.”
Addressing the fall in the number of fully qualified GPs, Dr Doyle said the plan would help retain GPs by making the job “more doable and satisfying”.
Keep your providers dry
An integrated care board has been advised to resist regulators’ demands and focus on addressing health inequalities and meeting its population’s needs.
An external review by the Good Governance Institute, a consultancy, says this would shield Coventry and Warwickshire ICB’s providers from excessive demands.
The institute found that the system had “good foundations”, with progress made towards developing strategy, relationships and partnership working, and a “real commitment” to improving outcomes and inequalities.
However, it added: “There is, however, frustration that progress to develop the system architecture and transformation plans has been slow, and that the governance is overly focused on ‘rearview mirror’ operational assurance rather than strategic assurance on objectives and system outcomes.”
Recommendations include that in order to create “headroom” the ICB should do more to “hold the umbrella up to the demands of the regulators”.
The report did not specify which regulators it meant. ICBs are mostly overseen by NHSE, but the ICB told HSJ the reviewers’ comment meant it should act as a funnel for information from regulators such as the Care Quality Commission, so as not to overwhelm provider members.
Also on hsj.co.uk today
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