How to utilise your primary care network this winter   

As demand for GP appointments is set to increase this winter, how can primary care networks support busy practices?

Primary care networks (PCNs) have been working across the UK since July 2019, aiming to provide integrated healthcare services to local populations. By bringing GP practices together, along with other healthcare individuals and organisations, PCNs have been able to cover areas with populations of 30,000-to-50,000 and, as winter approaches, thousands of additional GP assistants will be recruited by the NHS to support doctors through what is set to be a challenging winter of high patient demand and rising energy costs. 

So, as PCNs continue to recruit across the UK, what services can GP assistants provide? 

Services

GP assistants can provide a wide range of services, including blood pressure checks, heart rate and bloods tests, as well as arranging appointments, referrals and follow-up care for patients to support GPs as they look to meet the increasing national demand for appointments across the UK. The latest figures show that there have been 11m more routine appointments carried out in 2022 compared to the same period last year.

Assistants can help GPs meet the local demand of communities. According to Dr Amanda Doyle, national director of primary and community care, the new roles that will be created for GP assistants this winter will give GPs, “more flexibility to create teams that best meet the needs of their local population”.  They  can also minimise GP workload in areas such as administration. NHS England has already said the role has been proven to reduce the time GPs spend on tasks such as writing letter by two-fifths. 

Accessibility 

As overall GP appointment figures grow, so do the face-to face appointment figures. New data, published by NHS Digital, showed that 68% of appointments in the month of September 2022 were face-to-face – the highest percentage since before the pandemic. So, as demand for appointments is set to increase this winter, can the support from GP assistants keep face-to-face appointments high? PCNs are responsible for delivery, not strategy so, as additional GP assistants are recruited, more services can be provided for patients and care can be given sooner. 

Thinking ahead

PCNs can also be helpful for GPs as they look to the future. As face-to-face GP appointment figures grow, so will demand but, according to NHS England, more than a quarter of appointments could have been carried out by other healthcare professionals, been replaced by self-care, or were not needed at all. By establishing a PCN within local communities GP assistants can start to administer proactive and anticipatory care, again minimising the pressure on GPs. 

The GP workforce has increased by 19,000 since 2019, and the government intends to continue this growth to 26,000 staff by 2024 in line with the NHS Long Term Plan. The plan sets out a commitment to providing a new service model which will provide patients with more healthcare options and offer support to GPs with unmanageable workloads. 

As the NHS begins to implement this plan, it becomes more apparent that PCNs could play an active role in improving NHS services on a national scale in the coming months.