The UK government’s ambition is to dissolve the divide between primary care and community services. Primary Care Network development, proactive and anticipatory care requirements are central to that goal. There is the opportunity for community providers to forge partnerships and strengthen relationships with primary care. Together they develop models to deliver proactive and coordinated care for patients.
More proactive and coordinated care
With the UK population both increasing in size and steadily ageing, the proportion of over the age 65+ UK residents has been increasing up to the Covid 19 pandemic. Individuals, with rising complex needs and escalating risk, pose an increased demand within primary care and within the community and social care.
Community teams engaging with Primary Care Networks can support them in the primary care workforce development. In these Primary Care Networks, GP services join up with community teams. Making it possible to improve patient outcomes and value for the NHS by introducing more proactive and coordinated care for patients, through agreeing on interventions that support people where possible to remain at home.
Community providers have the infrastructure and back-office functions to create innovative propositions for developing Primary Care Networks. This might be through offering to act as the host employer and daily management support, to workforce development, offering access to Human Resources and Learning & Development solutions.
Partnership the only way forward
Anticipatory care is not something that either community providers or GP practices can deliver in isolation. It can only be delivered by an integrated community-based team.
With the multi-morbidity healthcare challenges likely to continue for some time to come, such innovative approaches will become ever more important to support populations to age well and feel supported in the place they call home.
Andrew Paterson is an Associate Partner and expert in Primary Care. He collaborates with organisations such as PCC to find solutions that focus on ‘how’ to improve patient outcomes.
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