GP Federation
Patient viewpoint
What is a Federation
Federations are groups of general practices that come together to
share responsibility for functions that can include:
•
Ensuring sustainability of local General Practice
•
The provision of extended care for patients with long term conditions
•
The development of new forms of out of hours care
•
Training and education
•
Peer review and clinical governance
•
Sharing clinical expertise to provide additional services to patients
•
Sharing back office support eg telephone answering / administrative support
Structure
•
Number of different options - varies according to the purpose of
the federation.
•
Number of legal options defined by law / NHS pension rules (limited liability partnership, a community interest company, or
limited company).
•
Governance arrangements require a formal approach where the
federation is assuming contracts for collective service delivery
across practices.
•
Will typically comprise a joint management team funded by
constituent practices with a board of governance elected by GPs
and their teams.
Why Federate
Pressures in primary care
•
Constrained funding growth / altered funding streams
•
Workforce pressures / premises
•
Rising patient expectations
•
Competition and procurement law
•
New medical technologies / IT developments
•
Undertaking clinical commissioning
•
Rising prevalence of chronic disease / ageing population
Local developments
•
Collaborative working in the locality to co-ordinate
flu vaccinations to patients in nursing & residential
homes
•
Enhanced framework to support patients in Nursing
& Residential Homes - East and North Herts CCG
•
Community anti-coagulation clinic
•
North Herts locality - 12 practices agreeing terms to
federate
12PointCare Ltd
•
North Herts locality federation
•
Project board of six agreed - covering business
planning, clinical governance, engagement.
•
Supported by all 12 practices
•
Covering 110 000 population
Initial Aims
•
To provide NHS health checks to >45 year old population.
•
To provide enhanced GP support over the Winter period
(winter pressures money available from the CCG)
•
To support education and retention of staff
•
To maintain viable local GP services
•
To work with local stakeholders to improve care provision
in North Herts
What does this mean for you as a patient?
•
Maintain and improve Local General Practice
•
More local services
•
Better access to high quality care
•
Continue to support sustainable primary and
secondary care service locally