The British Medical Association and GPC England, the representative body for GPS in the country, have shared an update on NHS England plans to extract data from GP clinical systems on cloud-based telephony usage, confirming that all general practices are “mandated to comply with this invitation and approve the collection” by 1 October.
Having sought legal advice to provide clarification to practices, the BMA supplies further context: data on usage is to be extracted on a monthly basis, with practices unable to decline instructions without risk of breaching contract.
GPCE has also reportedly emphasised to NHS England that the data “must not be used to performance manage practices or single them out for criticism”.
As an additional note around future plans for primary care, GPCE takes the opportunity to highlight “significant concerns” around suggestions that online consultation software should be made available to patients between 8am and 6:30pm irrespective of practice pressures when safe capacity has been reached. Practices are advised not to sign this declaration at present but to await further guidance.
Digital primary care
HTN recently hosted a panel discussion on innovation in primary care, featuring insights from Conisbrough GPs, South Yorkshire Primary Care Workforce and Training Hub, and Digital Health and Care Wales. Our panellists discussed what innovation in primary care looks like today, the impact on patient access, what primary care needs to innovate and the barriers, hopes for the future, and more. Click here to catch up.
Another recent webinar from HTN explored GP practice and PCN improvement through innovation in focus, with representatives from Parson Drove Surgery, ELM Tree Surgery and South Stockton PCN sharing a case study on how DNA rates have been reduced, patient experience improved and a ‘hub model’ implemented to speed up decision making.
A panel discussion earlier in the year also focused on digital primary care, from the projects panellists have been involved in to challenges within this space and how they can be tackled.
In July, we highlighted key findings from the GP Patient Survey 2024 and explored news around the GP Connect Update Record functionality.
Other primary care news has included an update from NHS Greater Manchester Board on its primary care blueprint; Healthtech-1 raising £2.7 million in seed funding to expand automations solutions in this space; and plans from NHSE to test new ways of working in ICBs to “optimise the general practice operating model”. HTN also explored data from NHSE to identify trends around video/online consultations in GP practices over spring.
And on the research side, HTN caught up with Helen Atherton, professor in primary care research at the University of Southampton, to talk about her research findings and insights into digital in primary care.
