Primary Care Access
The ICB has been working with GP practices, Primary Care Networks, community pharmacies and system partners to deliver the national Primary Care Access Recovery Plan.
The work began in 2023 and aims to tackle the 8 o’clock rush to get an appointment and so patients know how their request will be managed when they contact their GP practice. More information on the national programme is available here: NHS England » Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care.
Primary Care Access Improvement Plan – Update Report
Our report gives a summary of progress in delivering the plan and the progress made, for example:
- GP practices are providing more appointments than ever – 5.6 million GP practice appointments provided in Lincolnshire over the last 12 months
- Community pharmacies are providing a wider range of services including treatment for sore throats, shingles and earache as well as checking blood pressure and offering oral contraception
- GP practices in Lincolnshire have moved to digital phone systems, are using online consultation tools and can get support and funding to change how they work to improve access
- Primary Care Networks have accessed around £19 million additional funding and recruited over 450 additional roles including pharmacists, physiotherapists and social prescribers
- GP, community and hospital clinical leaders are working together to improve how they can coordinate on providing care e.g. hospitals providing updates to patients waiting for a specialist appointment so they don’t need to contact their GP to ask what’s happening
The work on improving access will continue over the next 12 months, aiming to provide further support to practices where patient experience of access could be improved.
Our report will be updated in the near future to include comments and feedback from system partners.