We support primary care providers to reform service delivery for people in Scotland
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have worked closely with our stakeholders to refocus and redesign our improvement support offer.
Our aim is to support primary care services to build resilience and deliver high quality care by:
supporting general practice to implement safe and effective processes for Care Navigation
supporting general practice to implement Acute and Serial Prescribing safely and efficiently
enabling improvements in Anticipatory Care Planning (ACP)
supporting implementation and progress of GP Cluster Working in Scotland, and
developing the Primary Care Learning System.
Download the latest version of the ihub's Primary Care Newsletter to find out what is happening in our current work programmes and access newly developed resources.
enable better use of GP practice appointments and resources and ensure patients can be seen by the right person, at the right time and in the right place
improve sharing of responsibility within practice teams and the wider primary care system, and
This resource forms one part of the Primary Care Communications Toolkit. This toolkit provides information and resources for NHS boards, HSCPS and professional bodies to support their communications about changes to Dental, GP Practice, Optometry and Community Pharmacy services in response to COVID-19.
The Care Navigation in General Practice: 10-Step Guide provides practical guidance on how to set up, or review, care navigation processes and pathways within general practice at pace and scale. It also contains links and references to related support materials developed by our national partners.
To support the implementation of this guide, we are offering an extensive package of practical support including:
virtual 1-hour awareness sessions
follow-on bespoke support delivered through group coaching workshops, and
This programme aims to support the development of staff and improvement of GP practice processes to deliver pharmacotherapy services as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding 2: GMS Contract Implementation for Primary Care Improvement (2021). The Royal Pharmaceutical Society Scotland and British Medical Association’s joint statement supports that full delivery of pharmacotherapy services is essential to improving primary care for patients, GP practice staff and pharmacists.
Benefits
We are supporting general practice to:
improve patient access to repeat and long-term prescriptions
ensure medicines-related activity is dealt with by the right member of the practice team at the right time, safely and efficiently
reduce GP practice and pharmacy staff workload, and
allow GP's to spend more time with patients and focus their role on being expert medical generalists.
We are doing this by:
Working with practice teams and pharmacy staff across a range of NHS boards and HSCPs, we will develop practical guidance and resources to support set-up and management of acute and serial prescriptions.
Drawing on the learning and expertise within the Pharmacotherapy Collaborative we have now launched the Serial Prescription Toolkit. This resource provides primary care teams with a step-by-step guide to support the introduction of serial prescriptions.
To support implementation we will be providing standalone introductory webinars to explore how the Serial Prescription Toolkit can support practices. We will also be offering bespoke support at an HSCP or cluster level.
ACP is a person-centred, proactive approach to help people consider what is important to them and plan for their future care.
Benefits
We are supporting health and care services to:
have care planning conversations with people to help them to think ahead and express their goals and preferences for the future
improve coordination of care across care settings both in and out of hours, and
reduce inappropriate interventions, hospital admissions and repeated difficult conversations.
How can you access resources and support?
We are doing this by working with professionals from across health and social care, the third sector and people with lived experience, developing and updating online resources and signposting to relevant materials.
You can access resources to support individuals and those providing care to have ACP conversations on our Anticipatory Care Planning Toolkit.
We support primary care services to learn together.
The Primary Care Learning System aims to accelerate the sharing of learning and improvement work across primary care services and underpins all our activities. Through collaborative working, sharing good practice and providing training this programme aims to encourage continuous learning at all levels, in every primary care setting.
We are doing this through a range of engagement and learning opportunities:
capturing and sharing insights, case studies and evidence
producing guidance and implementation toolkits
facilitation of Improvement Learning Networks, and
practical QI and coaching support for GP Clusters from the Primary Care Quality Improvement Faculty (PCQIF).
How can you access resources and support?
Join us for our Primary Care Resilience Webinar series, where you will be able to connect with peers, take part in discussions on current topics and reflect on what this could mean for primary care and your practice. Topics for future webinars are based on your feedback.
This programme aims to support GP clusters in their role to continuously improve the quality of care that people receive. GP clusters should do this by facilitating strong, collaborative relationships across GP clusters and localities with, at its heart; the intention of learning, developing and improving together for the benefit of local communities, as stated in Improving Together: A National Framework for Quality and GP Clusters in Scotland.
We are doing this through a range of engagement and learning opportunities.
Completing a GP Cluster Working Learning Cycle to have a better understanding of the key components for GP cluster working, the current barriers and enablers and sharing examples or ideas that could be helpful for GP clusters and those supporting them. This learning cycle also aimed to promote local and national reflection on GP clusters. Read the GP Cluster Working Learning Cycle report where we have summarised our findings from this deep dive into GP clusters.
Coordinating the Improving Together Advisory Group, which has representation of key stakeholders, including representatives from the national organisations.
Developing Improving Together interactive, the one‐stop‐shop library of improvement tools, materials and resources for primary care.
Organising networking sessions for cluster quality leads and practice quality leads. We are currently in the early planning stages of setting these sessions up for the coming months. Please register your interest in attending these sessions by contacting us at his.pcpteam@nhs.scot.
We use evidence and local knowledge to inform the development of new models of care. Find out more about our work in:
Community Treatment and Care services - supporting health and social care partnerships (HSCPs) to plan, test and deliver community treatment and care services.
We host Improving Together interactive, which is a one-stop-shop library of resources for people working in primary care. There you can find case studies which capture the learning from improvement work happening in primary care.
The Primary Care Access Programme has launched❗️
We are looking for primary care teams including GP clusters, GP practices, MDT teams & pharmacotherapy to join our 7-week sprint to help improve access.
🗓️ Closing date: 10 October 2022
Apply➡ihub.scot/improvement-pr…s
#PCImproveepic.twitter.com/lnLYcDaAy99
SPSP National Learning Event: Creating the Conditions for Safe Care
@joanne37m shares closing remarks&thanks speakers and delegates.
We hope the event provided an excellent opportunity for networking, learning and reflection
Resources & recordings to follow
#SPSP247#TheEoSCpic.twitter.com/kiNU3MEYLY
