Empowered, connected and respected: a vision for general practice at scale and primary care networks

This paper sets out our vision for at-scale general practice in the context of the three core principles of the Fuller stocktake: personalised care for those who need it most delivered through integrated neighbourhood teams, a joined-up approach to prevention and streamlined access.

Shaped by our members, our vision provides an ambition which we believe primary care should be striving for with the right support. As part of the NHS Confederation, our work to support, connect and represent our primary care members will be driven by our vision and the key principles that underpin that vision.

Our members are at-scale providers of primary care services; they work to support and stabilise the partnership model and, where appropriate, develop new models of delivery based on local need.

At-scale primary care is a critical system partner with the potential to deliver significant progress towards the ambitions of integrated care systems, and it must be empowered to lead and innovate to meet that potential.

A sustainable future for primary care must involve patients as partners in their own care, by providing them with the support, knowledge and technology to manage their health conditions and system pathways.

To deliver the right care in the right place, primary care must have the flexibility and support to develop models of delivery which suit the needs of their population. Embracing new models and economies of scale shaped by primary care providers has the potential to build on the success of existing at-scale providers who have demonstrated that they can provide more efficient and effective care as part of an integrated system.

Equity of access must be a priority for the future of primary care, with the outcomes for both longitudinal and episodic care recognised as more important than the number of appointments delivered.

Primary care networks (PCNs) will continue to be a key driver of integration and hold a vital role in delivering integrated neighbourhood working as part of emerging ‘teams of teams’, which bring together local care providers and wider system partners to address the wider determinants of health, adopting a holistic approach to improving the health and wellbeing of communities, and reducing health inequalities.

Effective population health management improvement will require a firm commitment to primary care at scale, through PCNs, GP federations and primary care collaboratives which can leverage their scale and combined resources to deliver for a whole population.