Mike Nesbitt, Minister of Health for Northern Ireland, has shared details of a £61 million investment in GP services set to support primary care reform and expand its primary care MDT programme.
A two-phase approach will be taken to rolling out the programme, with the £61 million supporting the completion of the model in the seven existing areas by 2028/29, and plans to expand into five new GP Federation areas. A second phase from 2029/30 will then focus on completing the rollout in the remaining five GP Federation areas.
The MDT programme sees MDT teams made up of physio, mental health, and social work roles, working alongside general practice teams, with the aim of helping shift the health service “from treating illness to supporting good physical and mental health and social wellbeing”.
According to statistics from 2023/24, MDTs offered “an additional 301,000 consultations in GP settings”, with 10,000 patients also reportedly benefitting from targeted community initiatives delivered alongside those working in the community and voluntary sector.
Nesbitt called the investment, announced by finance minister John O’Dowd, “truly transformational”, adding: “I am determined to secure a decisive shift left in our health service, with more resources directed to primary care. By helping people stay well and manage health conditions, this can reduce reliance on hospital care.”
Commenting on hopes that the investment will also go some way in easing pressures on GP practices, he said: “Feedback from senior GPs in existing MDT areas indicates that the programme can make a major contribution to stabilising GP services.”
Digital in driving reform across primary care and beyond
For a recent HTN Now webinar, we were joined by a panel of experts to discuss the role of digital in supporting NHS reform – modernising services, shifting from hospital to community, and supporting the move from reactive to proactive care. We welcomed Dawn Greaves, associate director of digital transformation at Leeds Community Healthcare; Ananya Datta, associate director of primary care digital delivery at South East London ICS; and Stuart Stocks, lead enterprise architect with Aire Logic. Panel members shared their insight and experience from a wide range of digital projects, highlighting what worked well and their learnings; how their organisations are currently tackling key challenges such as capacity and demand, and managing waiting lists; and balancing risk with innovation.
Panellists joining us for a panel discussion on utilising data to transform primary care 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. The discussion centred around how general practice, PCNs, and ICBs can utilise data and leverage technology to support operational efficiencies and improvements across primary care.
We focused-in on the future of general practice core systems with the help of an expert panel including Bex Cottey, business manager for Conisbrough GPs, Emma Stratful, chief operating officer at OX.DH, Dr Sheikh Mateen Ellahi, GP and practice partner at ELM Tree Surgery and South Stockton Primary Care Network and Dr Shanker Vijayadeva, GP lead, digital transformation for the London region at NHS England. The session explored potential opportunities and areas of future growth, considering challenges such as integration and interoperability, and outlining what good looks like in this space.
