The Scottish Government has announced £1 million of funding for the Inclusion Health and General Practice (IHAGP) programme’s second year, aiming to support tackling inequalities in Greater Glasgow and Clyde through extended consultations, links with community groups, and training in health equity for staff.
IHAGP has reportedly already delivered more than 7,000 extended outreach consultations in 2023-24 for patients with complex health needs or “missing from healthcare”, along with providing training for more than 200 staff members.
This latest funding will be targeted at helping practices continue to carry out extended consultations, train staff on health equity and trauma, and continue to build out connections with the local community.
Digital tech in tackling health inequalities
Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB’s “state of the system” report highlighted a shared digital approach for trusts and data work to tackle inequalities in the region, with key aims including getting better value from collective resources and using intelligence to identify local needs and inform planning and delivery.
Taking a different angle on the topic, Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex published a guide for innovators designed to support consideration of how the design, development and implementation of innovations can help in achieving health equity. The guide sets out goals for innovators and encourages an emphasis on social value and impact.
Spotlight on digital and access in primary care
In digital and access in primary care, Black Country ICB shared a £354,000 opportunity for a digital inequalities support service last month, to assist the ICB in improving digital enablement across the region, with citizens supported to gain “quicker and better” access to healthcare services.
Digital and access both played an important part in the British Medical Association’s “vision to rebuild digital practice”, published in July and setting out targets in moving toward a public health data-driven model and emphasising “where simple tech could revolutionise pathways and speed acute flow”.
In Greater Manchester, we explored progress on the region’s primary care blueprint, including improvements in access including an increased use of the NHS app, elements of care navigation, practice websites, and a shift to cloud-based telephony which is “continuing at pace”.
