NHS Frimley ICB has awarded a contract to Pungo Ltd for its social prescribing digital solution, Joy, to support the “social needs” of patients across four Slough PCNs and other secondary care partners.
The procurement of the solution aims to improve connections between residents and local services within the region, including adult social care, outpatients, and the voluntary community sector. It supports patients with the self-management of long-term conditions, with the ICB noting how this will “effectively reduce pressures on primary care services through avoidable hospital admissions and GP appointments”.
The Joy app is designed to integrate with EMIS and SystemOne, which will reportedly create a “streamlined referral process” when connecting patients with different care providers.
Having already started in January 2025, the contract will last for 3 years. It is currently valued at £89,718.72 with the option to extend up to 12 months, for a maximum contract value of £120,523.13.
Digital in primary care
For HTN Now we were joined by experts from across the primary care sector to debate how general practice, PCNs, and ICBs can utilise data and leverage technology to support operational efficiencies and improvements across primary care. Panellists included Kathryn Salt, assistant director of primary & community care, data and analytics for the Transformation Directorate, NHS England; Dr Shanker Vijayadeva, GP lead, digital transformation for the London region at NHS England; Dr Sheikh Mateen Ellahi, GP and practice partner at ELM Tree Surgery and South Stockton Primary Care Network; and Max Gattlin, digital consultant at X-on Health.
An expert panel including Deborah El-Sayed, director of transformation and CDIO at Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB; Dan Bunstone, clinical director at Warrington ICB; Stephen Bromhall, interim chief officer for digitaland data at South East Coast Ambulance Service; and Laura Thompson, director of marketing at The Access Group, joined us late last year to talk about approaches to tackling challenges from an ICS perspective; new models of care and pathway transformation; the role of technology in supporting the move from reactive to proactive care; and how a system approach can accelerate preventative care.
NHS England published updates to the GP contract for 2025/26, with an £889 million increase in investment across the core practice contract and the Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service (DES), taking the combined total value the contract to £13,176 million in 2025/26.
