So the wait for the NHS 10 Year Plan is over…
Given who we are and where we work, perhaps there aren’t many surprises in there and it’s the direction of travel we wanted to hear.
As part of a Federation, and working with a number of other PCNs and Federations, we of course recognise the value of general practice, and wider primary care and have been desperate for this recognition for some time. But most importantly for resources to follow – it’s not that new resources are needed, but a reallocation from hospital to community.
The mention of digital and data (183 times) within the pages is as we’d hoped. To date it has been a hugely undervalued asset, particularly general practice data. Existing analytical resources in ICBs rarely understand primary care data, what it means, how you use it to influence change, and more often than not, it’s been used as a performance tool.
And whilst there are promises around the FDP, we know that GP data is often missed in this.
So, how can primary care and GP at scale position themselves as being the leader of multi-neighbourhood providers, when for so long we’ve been the poor relative when it comes to whole system data and analytics.
Whilst we’ve been waiting for these shifts in policy nationally, we’ve been busily working across a range of primary care organisations; Practices, PCNs, Federations, Dentistry and Pharmacy, to use the data that has always been there.
As part of federation that has a strong role in its local system, we have used gp data to identify and rectify health inequalities within our communities, and helping PCNs and the wider system identify target cohorts, looking to drive a reduction in non-elective admissions. Using our PHM+ tool, we have worked up cohorts of our frailest residents for geriatricians to work with proactively in the community, people that have fibromyalgia and those with other LTCs, as well as using our tool, on the fly, to pick out cohorts that are frequent flyers, those with multiple (and specific) long term conditions, as well as overlaying people that are housebound and lonely.
And this is just the start of it…
We’ve worked with PCNs and Federations to demonstrate the impact of their services – community outreach programmes targeting those who don’t engage with GPs, as well as a bus which is out to engage with people closer to home. We’re evidencing the value of ARRS employed staff, as well as the value of community pharmacy – which we know will become even more important in the new world! We’re also working on a pilot for people with prescriptions of pain medications, without long-term conditions, with a view to supporting them with alternative support and reduce their requirement for medications.
So whilst everyone will now be looking round for the missing chapter on how the plan is going to be delivered, PCA will be out strengthening primary care organisations, the future single or multi-neighbourhood providers, make use of the “the best population health data in the world”.
