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Taking a strategic approach to primary care

Welcome to the February edition of PCC Insight. This edition considers premises investment, an example of the development of a provider collaborative to ensure that the voice of primary care is heard at the decision-making table; considerations on ensuring that business continuity plans are in place across primary care networks (PCNs) and an article exploring the contribution of optometry services.

helen northall 1
Helen Northall

The challenges for primary care are immense at the current time and with financial pressures affecting commissioners and providers alike it’s important that integrated care boards have a strong primary care strategy to guide future decision making. The strategy should include all four primary care contractor groups. It should look at the wider links, such as supporting reductions in demand for A&E and enabling hospital discharges.

The strategy needs to be able to support ICB decision making. For example, will it help the ICB make decisions on the commissioning of additional primary care dental services from any underspends – to ensure that they link to population health improvements. If the strategy isn’t robust enough there is a risk of commissioning services offered by dentists, rather than commissioning services to address priority areas where there is proven effectiveness.

It’s vital that the strategy thinks through the future footprint of primary care, considering what the ICB may do to secure primary medical care services should a practice hand back its contract. Would, for example, the ICB wish to work with a PCN to secure services in the first instance, being mindful of the contractual forms that they can contract to deliver primary medical care services. There then needs to be considerations if this can be enabled, and the new provider selection regime.

It’s also a difficult time for community pharmacy. Although Pharmacy First is going live, and there are opportunities for pharmacists to develop their roles, the number of pharmacy closures, and reductions in opening hours, will impact on the ICB’s strategic plan for primary care. To seek to address these issues it may be necessary to discuss bringing forward the pharmaceutical needs assessment refresh, for which the local authority’s health and wellbeing board has responsibility.

There is also a requirement for ICBs to draft their infrastructure strategy. Primary care is integral to this strategy PCNs have developed their clinical and premises strategies, and these need reflecting in this document.

It is a busy time for ICBs – and they need to get the foundations right for future primary care decisions.

PCC supports the majority of ICBs, if your ICB needs help contact enquiries@pcc-cic.org.uk.

Last Updated on 30 January 2024