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Ensuring the voice of primary care is heard – facilitation support to help launch a clinical director reference group

In June 2021, the Government published the Integrated Care Systems (ICS) Design Framework, providing a broad overview of the future role, functions, and governance arrangements for the proposed NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICB), their relationships with ICS partners and anticipated timetable for their establishment.

Julia SM
Dr Julia Sutton-McGough

Therefore, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, with intense pressures on the health and care system, we are embarking on significant transformation and change. ICS are fast approaching 1 April 2022 when they will hold significant responsibility in relation to service planning and managing NHS resources. The clock is ticking, nationally we are already starting to see ICSs establish new structures and governance, providing the basis for collaboration across the health and care organisations within their system.

The West Yorkshire Health and Care partnership identified the need for a forum that could capture views, concerns and priorities for primary and community care and its primary care networks (PCNs) across Bradford district and Craven; Calderdale, Harrogate, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield.

A clinical director reference group was established in 2020, initially all 52 clinical directors across the system were invited. Due to the pandemic, it was difficult to reconvene the group for some time but Kathryn Giles, primary care programme director was keen to re-launch the group to make sure the voice of clinical directors was heard.

The ambition for the group was:

  • For the workplan and areas of focus to be led by clinical directors
  • To offer peer support across West Yorkshire
  • To complement not duplicate place activities
  • To discuss place priorities and also areas that the group could work on collectively
  • To make recommendations to the ICS in relation to future priorities and funding for PCNs
  • To provide a forum for sharing innovation and best practice

In July and October 2021 Dr Julia Sutton-McGough provided facilitation support to enable the group to discuss and agree their terms of reference including representation for each place, frequency of meetings and the role of the clinical lead for the group. Views on priorities for future funding for PCNs were also discussed.

Keeping the clinical directors engaged and involved in the discussion was key to these sessions. Making sure that they could share place-based discussions and highlight concerns including how best to represent the views of others, identifying areas to work on collectively and recommending priorities for any funding allocated to support PCNs or the group. Action plans were agreed after each session.

It was agreed that the reference group would have representatives from each Place rather than all 52 clinical directors attending each meeting with an expectation that the representatives would gather views and seek input to priority areas and future agenda items. Recommendations around priorities and funding were collated and fed back to the programme board to inform their decision making.

Contact enquiries@pcc-cic.org.uk if you would welcome help to:

  • Move a group forward when dealing with difficult issues
  • Create the atmosphere for open discussion
  • Bring neutrality and fresh perspectives
  • Ask difficult questions and confront assumptions if needed.

Last Updated on 31 January 2022