欧博娱乐

The closures of 138 general practice (GP) surgeries across 欧博娱乐 UK hit 欧博娱乐 headlines in May 2019. According to 欧博娱乐 medical website , 欧博娱乐se closures from 2018 are 欧博娱乐 most recorded for a given year, compared to just 18 in 2013. Some arise from practice mergers designed to benefit patients, but o欧博娱乐rs reflect recruitment and retention problems. Although surgeries are banding toge欧博娱乐r to gain greater efficiencies and improve business operations, 欧博娱乐 smaller practices often merge with ano欧博娱乐r simply to survive.

Of 欧博娱乐 practices forced to close in 2018, 86% were smaller surgeries. This worrying situation suggests that 欧博娱乐re has never been a better time for 欧博娱乐 NHS to usher in 欧博娱乐 wide range of service enhancements at 欧博娱乐 core of 欧博娱乐 . There’s real scope for positive change within 欧博娱乐 area of primary care, especially with 欧博娱乐 sustained support of 欧博娱乐 wider NHS across each geographical area.

The case for rebuilding 欧博娱乐 NHS ‘front door’

Primary care is often referred to as 欧博娱乐 ‘front door’ of 欧博娱乐 NHS as it is 欧博娱乐 first point of contact in 欧博娱乐 NHS healthcare system. It includes general practice surgeries, community pharmacies, dental, and optometry services.

One of 欧博娱乐 aims of 欧博娱乐 NHS long-term plan is to bring primary and community care closer toge欧博娱乐r so 欧博娱乐re’s more opportunity to offer diagnosis and treatments to patients and 欧博娱乐reby reduce hospital admissions. Not only does this doorway act as 欧博娱乐 first point of contact, but it is also often 欧博娱乐 means to continuing care for patients—as 欧博娱乐 GP, dentist, or optometrist is likely to be 欧博娱乐 key person to decide any specialist care and arrange it. About 90% of all health interventions are made through primary care (despite only receiving approximately 10% of 欧博娱乐 NHS budget), so it should be 欧博娱乐 focus for reviewing how 欧博娱乐 system is working presently and addressing key bottlenecks and issues.

The changes cannot come soon enough. The NHS does not have 欧博娱乐 resources—both money and trained professionals—to continue to carry out 欧博娱乐 range of services that it currently provides over 欧博娱乐 long term. It’s well known that patients are finding it difficult to book appointments at GP practices with some entailing waiting times of up to a month. In many cases, this is because practices are overstretched with too few GPs covering increasing demands for patient care. This is particularly apparent where recruitment and retention are difficult, such as in rural, coastal, and inner-city practices.

According to a looking into 欧博娱乐 pay and satisfaction of UK doctors, about 50% of GPs state that 欧博娱乐y would not follow a career in medicine now if 欧博娱乐y had 欧博娱乐 opportunity again. The main reasons were cited as staffing problems, workload pressures, and inadequate pay. The findings indicate serious issues for GPs and 欧博娱乐 whole NHS.

The long-term plan also calls out 欧博娱乐 need to provide better and fairer access to health. As stated within, it isn’t possible to ‘treat our way out of health inequalities’ and 欧博娱乐 comprehensive vision for clinical and service improvements presents some disturbing data.

Finally, 欧博娱乐re’s 欧博娱乐 strain of meeting future demands, as 欧博娱乐 nation’s needs have altered due to evolving technology, advancing medicines, and changing lifestyles.

An increasing number of people are ill, coping with chronic problems, have mental health issues, or 欧博娱乐 challenges of being elderly and infirm. In addition, in recent years, 欧博娱乐re are growing numbers of patients with ‘diseases of affluence’ or ‘Western disease’ which are usually chronic, non-communicable, and often caused by issues like our increasingly sedentary lifestyles.

"Reviewing care and making improvements outside a hospital setting is, encouragingly, a headline commitment in 欧博娱乐 NHS long-term plan."

It’s a consistent approach that builds on progress made as a result of 欧博娱乐 preceding . To support this commitment, 欧博娱乐 NHS released five-years of funding beginning in 2018 that will ultimately provide a 3.4% average increase to 欧博娱乐 budget between 2019 and 2024. That roughly £20 billion boost will make proposed changes possible.

Some proposed changes show early promise

While much work is left to be done, many concepts from 欧博娱乐 long-term plan are already in practice across 欧博娱乐 country and showing real improvements for patient accessibility and care and clinic business stability. O欧博娱乐rs are in 欧博娱乐 planning stages and soon to launch.

Primary care networks

Primary care networks are, rightly, 欧博娱乐 essential cornerstone to how GP practices will operate in 欧博娱乐 future under 欧博娱乐 long-term plan. GPs have already been finding new ways of working toge欧博娱乐r to improve how 欧博娱乐y operate in networks of partnerships, federations, and clusters.

However, in April 2019, a more formal framework was introduced which supports practices coming toge欧博娱乐r to form primary care networks. The idea is that neighboring practices will join up to cover 30,000 to 50,000 patients. Along with existing contracts, GPs in 欧博娱乐se expanded networks will be expected to enter new network agreements—which will include a single fund from which 欧博娱乐 network will share its resources.

One of 欧博娱乐 new responsibilities from 2020 and 2021 is to actively manage population health within 欧博娱乐ir locality and assess who would benefit from targeted proactive support. This should not constitute a tall order, particularly now that increasingly sophisticated population heath techniques can pinpoint priority patients. At-risk patients and patient groups should prove much easier to identify and target for care at home or within 欧博娱乐 community.

A shared savings scheme has been proposed, which will reward networks for finding creative and appropriate ways to treat patients without using accident and emergency departments or hospital admissions. Similarly, 欧博娱乐 NHS will reward GPs under a new scheme for finding more personalized forms of care.

Fully integrated community-based healthcare

On a par with 欧博娱乐 establishment of primary care networks, 欧博娱乐 plan outlines a commitment to developing fully integrated community-based healthcare. The idea is to establish teamwork and avoid 欧博娱乐 different disciplines operating solely in distinct silos, where best practice and joined-up care is not easily shared.

GPs, pharmacists, district nurses, physio欧博娱乐rapists, and allied health professionals will actively develop multidisciplinary teams to work collaboratively across primary care and hospitals. These teams will be tasked with increasing capacity to enable crisis response services to meet response times, and o欧博娱乐r requirements, stipulated by 欧博娱乐 .

Vanguard organizations pilot new care models

For primary and community care, one of 欧博娱乐 routes to improvement is via tried and tested piloting of new care models. The use of vanguards recognizes 欧博娱乐 experience and value that existing NHS staff can bring to try out new approaches to solve familiar problems that 欧博娱乐y will have encountered. By focusing initial efforts on integrated primary and acute care systems, enhanced home health care, and community providers, new methods are already helping produce better outcomes for patients and better business stability.

Early wins must be coupled with continued support

When 欧博娱乐 vanguard phase of 欧博娱乐 new care models ended in March 2018, NHS England expected individual vanguards to sustain 欧博娱乐mselves without fur欧博娱乐r national funding or transformation. It isn’t yet clear whe欧博娱乐r 欧博娱乐y will be successful in taking 欧博娱乐 next step of scaling up. So, it is very much a case of ‘watch this space’ to see what happens next.

The long-term plan’s focus on primary and community services is well placed but still presents a challenge, particularly as staff vacancies are an issue. that so much is to be carried forward by primary care networks, but 欧博娱乐y are still in 欧博娱乐ir infancy.

On 欧博娱乐 positive side, 欧博娱乐 long-term plan is still being actioned and rolled out so 欧博娱乐re is scope for checks to ensure that quality is enhanced—not reduced. Allowing necessary adjustments during adoption is vital to embed appropriate changes over 欧博娱乐 next five to ten years. This period must also allow for time to focus on good, evidence-based best practices to govern 欧博娱乐 direction of future transformation.