The challenges presented by the Covid crisis have seen an acceleration of many existing transformation projects in general practice, particularly where use of tech and a move to a digital infrastructure is concerned. This week’s podcast features a panel of experts from the London region who bring a clinical, project and programme perspective on the hugely successful transition to online and video consultations and an insight into the brand-new NHS app. From triage and the creation of a digital front door to managing an incredibly rapid deployment, the importance of effective communication and the public response, here is how, in a few short weeks, they have enabled 91% of London practices to offer online consultations and 100% who now have the ability to deliver video consultations to support their patients.
Introductions (36 secs)
The challenge presented by Covid (2 mins 11 secs)
How was the transition to online and video consultations enabled? (3 mins 17 secs)
The deployment from a clinical perspective (5 mins 8 secs)
Patient response (7 mins 30 secs)
The NHS app (9 mins 19 secs)
Rollout across the STP area (10 mins 57 secs)
Why each London borough was managed differently (13 mins 44 secs)
What has been the impact of both online and video consults? Has one proved more successful than the other? (14 mins 54 secs)
Was hardware a critical success factor? (16 mins 33 secs)
Future plans (18 mins 22 secs)
Life after Covid? (19 mins 55 secs)
What happens next from a practice point of view? (20 mins 48 secs)
Getting in touch (22 mins 51 secs)
If you would like to know more, you can contact the London Digital First Programme team and / or Emily, Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP) project lead for North Central London:
Digital First Programme (London): england.londondtt@nhs.net
STP lead: Emily.mitchell9@nhs.net
Robert McCartney and Stephen Kemp specialise in supporting and developing innovative and sustainable primary care services. Here, they take us through their experiences of setting up Covid ‘hot’ sites in the south Kent area, in response to the global pandemic; how the projects were mobilised, what were the key consideration factors and what they learned along the way.
Introductions (9 secs)
The network set up (1 min 54 secs)
When did the planning for a ‘hot’ hub begin? (3 mins 1 sec)
Overcoming the logistical challenges (4 mins 56 secs)
From idea to go-live (6 mins 12 secs)
Staffing a ‘hot’ site (6 mins 42 secs)
The cost implications for a practice or network (8 mins 23 secs)
Activity levels so far (9 mins 6 secs)
Boosting the numbers (9 mins 54 secs)
Lessons learned (11 mins 24 secs)
Internal versus external spaces (12 mins 24 secs)
Can there be a centralised model? (14 mins 20 secs)
Planning for the future of Covid (15 mins 39 secs)
Getting in touch (17 mins 19 secs)
Robert’s email: rm@mccartneyhealth.co.uk
Stephen’s email: skemp@mccartneyhealth.co.uk
McCartney Healthcare Associates website here
Twitter: @McCartneyHealth
With PCNs and practices facing the impending deadline for their decision on the Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service (DES) Contract Specification for2020/21, Ben talks to Justin Cumberlege, who specialises in providing legal advice to the primary care healthcare sector as a partner at Hempsons Solicitors. From the contract specifics, to the key considerations and the legal and practical implications in between, this week’s podcast offers a bitesize overview of what primary care should be mindful of before 31 May 2020.
Introductions (14 secs)
How is this year’s network DES different? (38 secs)
The challenges so far (1 min 41 secs)
Publication timing (2 mins 53 secs)
What does sign up mean for practices and networks? What are the timescales? (4 mins 26 secs)
What if a practice does not want to be part of their PCN going forwards? (5 mins 49 secs)
Can the PCN configuration be changed at this point? (7 mins 15 secs)
The thorny issue of ‘expelling’ a practice from a network (7 mins 46 secs)
Justin’s highlights the key considerations for practices and networks, ahead of the sign-up deadline (8 mins 15 secs)
Reviewing the network agreement (9 mins 35 secs)
Requirements of collaboration (11 mins 39 secs)
The repercussions of breaching the contract (14 mins 15 secs)
Defining the difference between the PCN DES and the PMS agreement and GMS contract (17 mins 23 secs)
Focusing on the small print and implications of worst-case scenarios (18 mins 18 secs)
If practices sign up this year, what are the implications for opt out next year? (19 mins 9 secs)
Getting in touch (20 mins 6 secs)
Justin is contactable via email: j.cumberlege@hempsons.co.uk
Tara Humphrey, our 'almost' resident Project Management expert supporting the development of Primary Care Networks and GP Federations, returns for a third episode in a series of podcasts covering the pandemic from a management and support perspective. This week Tara and Ben reflect on where they are up to in their own roles, within their own areas, with their focus shifting towards life after Covid and more traditional priorities – but with the added benefit and experience of the best practice that has taken place during recent times.
Introductions (14 secs)
Drive through immunisations (1 min 14 secs)
What has been happening in Tara’s world? (2 mins 35 secs)
Planning for life after Covid? (3 mins 6 secs)
Considering new priorities in a GP Federation schedule (4 mins 6 secs)
The Care Home challenge (4 mins 56 secs)
Modelling a new Care Home scheme (5 mins 47 secs)
Ben’s experiences of aligning care homes to practices and PCNs (6 mins 46 secs)
The network mindset (8 mins 19 secs)
Tara and Ben discuss the PCN DES more broadly (9 mins 14 secs)
Positive impacts as a result of the pandemic? (9 mins 57 secs)
Building on the positives; opportunities for further partnership working (11 mins 1 sec)
The theory of change and maintaining momentum (13 mins 16 secs)
Th effect of crisis working (14 mins 43 secs)
Learning lessons (15 mins 27 secs)
What’s next for Tara? (16 mins 6 secs)
…and for Ben? (16 mins 58 secs)
Find out more about Tara Humphrey:
During a time when many GP surgeries across the nation are managing near total transformation of their working practices, James Davies, a Practice Manager at Amicus Health, features on this week’s podcast to tell their story. From the highs to the not so highs, to the tech they’ve employed, the valuable lessons they have learned and the bits of their new processes they would like to retain for the future, this week’s podcast is a one stop shop for all things remote working during the era of Covid-19.
Introductions (26 secs)
Amicus Health – the stats (41 secs)
The ‘GP heavy’ model (58 secs)
When did their transformation journey begin? (1 min 51 secs)
How to embed a system of remote working and enabling staff to work from home (2 mins 34 secs)
Away From My Desk (4 mins)
Access to full clinical software (4 mins 44 secs)
Explaining the ‘soft phones’ system (5 mins 18 secs)
What does a typical day look like in the new world? (6 mins 11 secs)
Staff reactions (7 mins 59 secs)
Striking the balance of staffing cover (9 mins 1 sec)
Which roles fit remote working best? (10 mins 7 secs)
Continuing effective staff management (11 mins)
Is dedicated IT support required? (12 mins 24 secs)
What happens next? (13 mins 8 secs)
Opportunities for further transformation and planning for the future (14 mins 47 secs)
What will Amicus Health retain going forwards? (15 mins 41 secs)
Lessons learned (16 mins 41 secs)
Getting in touch (18 mins 41 secs)
James is contactable at: jamesw.davies@nhs.net