Supporting general practice

MariaPCC 11 January 2024

The focus on general practice is often centred around access, but to provide good access, in our experience, there are three underlying, and linked, success factors.
• Workforce
• Finance
• Premises

Patients are now effectively signposted to an increased team of professionals including community pharmacists and additional roles supported by primary care networks.

Practices need to understand their financial position and have financial sustainability. With good financial governance, practices will be better placed to:
• Transform services, potentially with an increased number of staff
• Support the delivery of high-quality care
• Support business owners’ health and wellbeing.

Finances are tight in general practice and its essential to maximise income. One worthwhile check is to make sure everything possible is being claimed. PCC has supported practices across the country to develop their financial resilience and we do this by offering a range of interventions dependent on the needs of the practice.

However, demand for primary care services and an expanding workforce are making it increasingly difficult for practices to provide the necessary physical accommodation from which to deliver high quality services.

Practices will need to consider their options when it comes to providing appropriately sized, fit for purpose premises from which to deliver their services in the future. Modern, well-maintained premises are not only beneficial to patients but can support and help with staff welfare and make a positive contribution to recruitment and retention. A large proportion of practices will need to work within their existing premises footprint, to understand how the accommodation is being utilised on a day-to-day basis for example:
• How the rooms are being utilised,
• Which staff role is using the room/space,
• What services are being delivered and could these be configured differently.

Identifying how premises are being utilised and finding alternative ways to maximise the use of premises will support the continued to delivery of high quality care, ensuring practice staff and the extended staff roles can be accommodated to deliver care at the right time and place.

If you would like to find out more about how PCC can support general practice, contact enquiries@pcc-cic.org.uk or visit https://www.pcc-cic.org.uk/practice-support/

Author: Mike Fry, adviser, PCC

Categories: Article

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