Revealed: The 22 areas testing radical changes to GP operating model

The groups, spread across seven integrated care boards, will trial new “operating models” for GP provision, under an initiative announced by the ICBs and NHS England in May.

If successful, the project will influence future national care models for GP and “neighbourhood” services, and probably shape the core national GP contract, HSJ understands. They will also look to use their evidence to prove the case for more primary care investment.

Since May, the ICBs have been selecting PCNs in their area to take part. They are:

The sites will initially test five types of “interventions”, with specific actions to be agreed by the PCNs and ICBs in coming months. The programme is due to run until March 2027, although it is expected to influence policy in the meantime. The interventions are: 

• “Optimising key aspects from the Primary Care Access and Recovery Plan”:

  • Expanding uptake of NHS App and Pharmacy First

  • Improving communication to patients about the primary care workforce

  • Reducing workload, clinical and administrative, across the primary-secondary care interface.

• Implementing digital methods for risk stratification and repetitive process automation tools to reduce administrative burden;

• Enhancing population health management, such as identifying patient searches for case or medication reviews;

• Defining and measuring the impact of multidisciplinary teams for complex cohorts; and

• Funding to increase clinical capacity as outlined in the long-term workforce plan.

HSJ was told the work is looking to understand gaps in funding; demand and capacity; and workload across on-the-day demand, long-term condition management, population health management, screening and immunisations and care for complex cohorts.

The project will collect baseline data on:

• Variations in direct and indirect spend on general practice; 

• System performance data, including 111 calls, accident and emergency attendance and Pharmacy First usage, and requests of these partners through referral activity;

• Total income and costs for the PCN and each practice, and the proportion focused on GMS/PMS/APMS and PCN DES delivery;

• Patient experience survey;

• Staff satisfaction.