How to reduce bureaucracy in general practice?

We asked you in a survey earlier this month what could be done to reduce the bureaucracy and workload in general practice, and you provided over 400 ideas! We know what is needed and we need to make some quick decisions in order to make changes if there is to be an impact on workload this winter and reduce bureaucracy by the 30% commitment made by Dorset ICS.

Your ideas were shared with the Primary Care Strategy and Implementation Group (PCSIG) on 23rd November for consideration.

The top themes highlighted in the survey included the need to:

·     Address the reporting burden.

·     Reduce workload created via the Primary / Secondary Care interface.

·     Develop a public messaging campaign regarding pressures on general practice in Dorset.

 These are the three areas that the Alliance will focus on in the next few weeks and months. All the other ideas from the survey and the GP summit are also noted and will be addressed in the coming months as well.

We want to assure you that change is coming. The Alliance Board have followed up with NHS Dorset to ensure that things move rapidly, and changes can be implemented this winter.

What will happen now?

You will want to know how the reporting burden will be reduced.

A proposal from the Alliance to support general practice colleague was approved at the ICB Committees in December. The ICB recognises that there is a significant increase in urgent care demand in general practice this winter and the emerging risk associated with limited teams managing many urgent and routine clinical encounters. The ICB have agreed, up to 31 March 2023, to support practices to prioritise highest risk patients by ceasing the reporting requirements of locally commissioned services and they will provide financial support to cover any shortfall to ensure practices are not disadvantaged.

You will want to know how the workload created by the Primary/Secondary care interface can be reduced.

This was a significant theme in the survey responses and whilst issues regarding waiting lists, communication, referrals, results and investigations are not new, incidences have increased over the past few years and progress to improve these processes have been slow. The support of the system to make any changes happen in time for the winter pressures is being encouraged. In addition, discussions are in place to develop guidelines and ways of working within the health system including UHD, DHC, DCH and general practice. It is hoped that this will be a useful tool to help sustain any changes that can be implemented. In the short term however, there is a list of suggestions and ideas that have been collated and the Alliance will work with the ICB to see which ones can happen this winter.

You will want to know how NHS Dorset will support practices with public messaging.

The Alliance has asked NHS Dorset to develop an urgent communication strategy to engage our local population to provide a clear and consistent message about the pressures within Primary Care and the wider system.