Welcome

I’m pleased to be able to share with you the Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board’s Annual Review 2023/24.

We have been working on this for a few months and wanted to get it finished by the summer, so you may have seen a copy on our website and social media channels last week.

The document provides a snapshot of all the work we do across the PCB, the different programmes we have on offer, and the work of the individual primary care sub-boards, incorporating community pharmacy, dentistry, general practice and optometry.

It also explains how we are governed and how we work across the wider health and care system, representing primary care providers in a two-way relationship with NHS GM.

There’s a lot of information in there, which we have tried to present in a way that’s easy to understand! So, I suggest you grab a brew and hope you enjoy reading about our work. Let us know what you think.

I was also pleased to read another positive document recently – a quarterly update on the GM Primary Care Blueprint, which was presented at NHS Greater Manchester Board.

NHS GM’s chief executive Mark Fisher issued a message to primary care providers, thanking them for their hard work in driving forward the blueprint. If you’ve not seen it, please check our website for further details.

Speaking of the website, we have evaluated the most popular pages and news items, together with the top-performing social media posts. This shows that more of you are finding us on our digital channels and engaging with our messages. We’ll do another report on this later in the year.

Also included in this edition are updates on the latest research opportunities, digital first webinars and the summer version of the Get To Know Where To Go campaign, which advises the public on how to access primary care services.

If you’re able to have a summer break – even if it’s just a few days in the garden – please enjoy it and stay safe!

Check the PCB website, X and LinkedIn for the latest news and offers and if you have any comments or suggestions about this update or the annual review, please let us know by emailing: info.gmpcb@nhs.net

Thank you,

Luvjit Kandula
Chair, Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board
Twitter: @luvjitkandula

PCB News

Annual review 2023/24

The PCB’s annual review 2023/24 is now available on our website. The document highlights a year of growth and progression for the PCB, individual discipline boards and support programmes.

If you want to learn more about what we do, have a read!

Champions in health and care

Congratulations to all winners and runners-up in the GM Health and Care Champion Awards 2024, which were announced on 11 July.

A special shout-out to those flying the flag for primary care and winning Leadership Champion, Team of the Year and the Mayor’s Special Recognition Award.

Research opportunities

The National Institute for Health and Care Research Clinical Research Network (NIHR CRN) Greater Manchester is looking for practices to sign up to a clinical research programme for long COVID.

For this and other research opportunities, read their update.

Making a digital impact

Have you ever wondered what other people are interested in? This report shows the type of things you like to read about on our website and social media channels.

Since November 2023, we have significantly grown our audience on our digital channels – so thank you!

If you still haven’t followed us, click on the links in our chair’s welcome above.

Listen again

This month, there’s a chance to rewind to January 2024, when this podcast by the Primary Care Knowledge Boost (PCKB) was first aired.

Join senior pharmacist Sarah Hafeez as she discusses the differences between inappropriate and appropriate polypharmacy.

Blueprint delivery plan

We’ve previously shared with you the GM Primary Care Blueprint – Delivery Plan: Year 1 which sets out the agreed actions to be taken during 2024/25.

The contents of this plan are now available in full on the PCB website, in an accessible format.

A quarterly progress report on the blueprint was submitted to the NHS Greater Manchester Board on 17 July, followed by a message of thanks to primary care by Mark Fisher, Chief Executive of NHS GM.

Workshops to support digital transformation

If you’re keen to get involved in the digital transformation journey, the Digital First Primary Care (DFPC) programme is running workshops, in partnership with Redmoor Health.

Book now for the ‘appointments audit’ and ‘care navigation’ workshops in August and September.

Fairer Health for All Fellowship – deadline extended

The deadline for applying to the Fairer Health for All Fellowship (FHfA) programme has been extended.

Get your expression of interest form submitted by 9am on Monday 29 July, to start in the autumn. The programme is particularly keen to receive applications from wider primary care.

GM partnership update

July’s edition of the GM Integrated Care Partnership Update is available to read online and includes news from the wider partnership, as well as NHS GM’s draft Anti-Racist Statement.

NHS GM position statement

NHS GM has agreed to work more closely with NHS England, as part of ‘Enforcement Undertakings’.

A position statement on the NHS GM website explains what this means.

Campaigns

NHS GM has launched a new campaigns resource centre, and primary care partners are encouraged to use the social media assets and toolkits on their channels – to help inform the public.

The summer edition of the Get To Know Where To Go (GTKWTG) campaign is now available and includes a special primary care toolkit, tailored for GP practices and pharmacies. If you have a website, Facebook page or X (Twitter) account you can use the suggested posts directly or share from the NHS GM accounts, using the hashtag #GTKWTG.

A handy GTKWTG booklet is also being developed and should be published soon.

Events page

Check our events page for a range of webinars, conferences and training offers relevant to the primary care workforce. The calendar can be altered to view week by week, by month or in list form (agenda) according to your preference by using the tabs.

PDF version of Provider Update

Download a PDF version of issue 14 of the PCB Provider Update.

Welcome

As I mentioned in last month’s Provider Update, the PCB works hard to represent all disciplines of primary care, and on several levels.

Since our last issue we’ve been busy flying the collective flag at key events and will continue to engage with colleagues at NHS GM and beyond on the future planning and sustainability of primary care.

This month we had a jam-packed visit with Professor Claire Fuller, the Medical Director for Primary Care at NHSE, and author of the Fuller Stocktake report (2022) which sets out the next steps for integrating primary care.

Together with colleagues at NHS GM, we took her on a tour of eyecare services, a pharmacy, and a GP practice. We also had dentistry colleagues playing a key part in the day.

Overall, we felt it was a positive visit and we’re in no doubt that she left knowing what we do here at the PCB and how passionate we are about the work within each of the primary care disciplines, and our ambitions for the future.

We also shared some of our achievements over the past year, and you can read more about those when our annual review is published – so watch this space!

In the same week as the visit, we saw lots of our representatives at the NHS Confed Expo, including Dr Tracey Vell MBE, chief officer of the PCB, and Dharmesh Patel, PCB board member and chair of the GM Optometry Provider Board, who both featured on the agenda.

As well as speaking formally on pertinent topics, we took the opportunity to talk to significant leaders about the issues facing primary care.

In other news this month, we have details of the new PCB proactive care programme, some guides to help with the roll-out of patient-led ordering, and some GM campaigns you can use on your channels.

There is also information about the GM Health and Care Champion Awards 2024. Although we didn’t make the shortlist, Community Pharmacy Greater Manchester (CPGM) and NHS GM were nominated for a collaboration award with Allied Health Training for Pharmacy First.

Maybe next year…!

Please check the PCB website, X and LinkedIn for the latest news and offers and don’t forget – if you have any comments or suggestions, please let us know by emailing: info.gmpcb@nhs.net

Thank you,

Luvjit Kandula
Chair, Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board
Twitter: @luvjitkandula

PCB News

Proactive care programme

The PCB has launched a new programme to help PCNs tackle long-term conditions through proactive care, in partnership with NHS GM and Peak Health Coaching.

The programme held its first workshop recently and will focus on cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Summer webinars for general practice

A set of summer webinars delivered by the GP Excellence programme, with trainer Luan Stewart, are filling up fast.

If you miss out this time, the sessions on ‘QOF prevalence’, ‘Finance – quick wins’, ‘Estates planning’ and ‘Students and trainees: preparations and planning’ will be repeated later this year – watch this space!

Patient-led ordering resources

A series of guides have been produced to help PCNs and community pharmacies adopt the new GM approach to patient-led ordering of prescriptions.

The PCB website has been updated with links to the standard operating procedures, an activity planner for the roll-out, and a communications toolkit.

Clinical research

Latest updates from the National Institute for Clinical Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network (CRN) Greater Manchester include a primary care meeting in July, new SNOMED codes for GP practices, plus their current research opportunities.

Dr Derek making the headlines

A GP from Wigan is making the headlines with his unique YouTube videos giving advice on important health issues. Dr Derek Adu-Sarkodie has been interviewed on BBC Radio Manchester and featured on local news websites.

June podcasts

This month’s podcasts by the Primary Care Knowledge Boost (PCKB) shine a spotlight on palliative care across two episodes.

Palliative care consultant, Lesley Henson, and specialty doctor, Caitriona MacDermott, talk about breathlessness in palliative care and in a follow-up episode, they answer some common questions.

Raising concerns about pharmacy services

New guidance has been released for GP practices and PCNs when raising concerns about pharmacy services. The process was agreed at a Services Working Group (SWG) involving NHS GM and Community Pharmacy Provider Board (CPPB).

Details of the process are published on the PCB website, under the community pharmacy section.

New guides for modern general practice

NHS England has published four new ‘how to’ guides on modern general practice, as part of the Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care.

The guides are included in the resource section of our New access models page, on the PCB website.

Fairer Health for All Fellowship

There’s still time to apply for the Fairer Health for All Fellowship (FHfA) programme, which starts in the autumn.

Closing date for expressions of interest, from all aspects of primary care, is 30 June.

GM awards

The shortlist for the GM Health and Care Champion Awards 2024 has been published. A full list is included on the NHS GM website. Winners will be announced at an event on 11 July.

Help residents to Feel the Benefit

Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) is asking primary care providers to support its new energy saving campaign, Feel the Benefit.

You can refer patients directly via the ECO4 Flex scheme or help spread the word using the communications toolkit with your audiences.

Cancer forum event

The GM Cancer Forum is holding a free study afternoon in July for clinical primary care professionals looking to boost their cancer knowledge and hear key updates from Greater Manchester cancer specialists.

GM partnership updates

Read the latest updates from the GM Care Record and the May edition of the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership newsletter for partners and stakeholders.

NHS GM have also announced the appointment of a new Deputy Chief Executive, Colin Scales.

Campaigns

The Get To Know Where To Go (GTKWTG) campaign has been given a football makeover for the Euros! Messaging is focused on responsible drinking and taking care in the sun.

Updated campaign assets are available on the NHS GM campaigns resource centre, if you’re posting from your channels.

Alternatively, you can look out for the hashtag #GTKWTG and share.

Events page

Don’t forget to check our events page for a range of webinars, conferences and training offers relevant to the primary care workforce. The calendar can be altered to view week by week, by month or in list form (agenda) according to your preference by using the tabs.

PDF version of Provider Update

Download a PDF version of issue 13 of the PCB Provider Update.

Welcome

I hope you’re all making the most of the sunshine – when it makes an appearance!

As ever, primary care continues to be a demanding arena and as a PCB we continue to raise issues on your behalf at a system, regional and national level where we can.

We do this in several ways: by having representation at strategic meetings; inviting key leaders to our monthly board meetings; and taking an active – and vocal – role in visits to our city region by high profile figures. We have a visit taking place in June and I hope to be able to share details in next month’s update.

If you’re interested in the general governance of the PCB and how we operate, you can read more about this in our upcoming annual review which is currently being compiled and should be available in the summer.

An important document that has just been released is the year-one delivery plan for the GM Primary Care Blueprint, details of which can be found in this month’s Provider Update below.

If you were at the Primary Care Summit earlier this year, you will have heard about the plan which sets out actions for the period 2024 to 2025, based on the ambitions outlined in the blueprint.

The document highlights the importance of communications as delivery develops, something which was raised at the summit in March. You can read a selection of people’s views on this and other aspects of the event and the blueprint in the evaluation report on our website.

Also included in this edition of Provider Update are details of new health and wellbeing training offers, leadership development opportunities and a handy toolkit to help providers become members of the Good Employment Charter.

Enjoy!

Don’t forget to check the PCB website, X and LinkedIn for the latest news and offers.

If you have any comments or suggestions about this update, please let us know by emailing: info.gmpcb@nhs.net

Thank you,

Luvjit Kandula
Chair, Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board
Twitter: @luvjitkandula

PCB News

GM Primary Care Blueprint Delivery Plan

A delivery plan outlining the year-one actions of the GM Primary Care Blueprint has been published.

Entitled GM Primary Care Blueprint – Delivery Plan: Year 1, the document sets out the agreed actions to be taken during 2024 to 2025, to meet the ambitions outlined in the GM Primary Care Blueprint, as well as contributing to the Integrated Care Partnership strategy (2023).

Take part in the General Practice Improvement Programme

The General Practice Improvement Programme (GPIP) invites all practices and PCNs to join them at an introductory webinar on Wednesday, 5 June, to discover what tailored support is available.

Benefits of NHS App

A new video by NHS GM to explain changes to the way repeat prescriptions are ordered features a GP, community pharmacists and several patients.

The video aims to support people to use the NHS App, which will give them more control over their healthcare.

Dr Chris Nortcliff, the PCB’s digital lead and clinical lead of Digital First Primary Care (DFPC) talks about the benefits of the NHS App – among other things – in a blog for #DigitalStockport.

Vitamin D testing guidance

GM Pathology Network has updated its vitamin D testing guidance for adults, aimed at general practice and other health practitioners.

Leadership development opportunities

A range of leadership programmes, events, resources and tools are available to leaders, and aspiring leaders, working in the health and care sector across the north west.

Check out the offers from NHS North West Leadership Academy.

Wellbeing poster updated

Due to a review and consolidation of national support offers, the Looking After You coaching programme for primary care colleagues has ended.

As a result, the GM Workforce Wellbeing Support poster on our website has been updated.

This is available in the workforce hub on the PCB website, along with more wellbeing resources.

Updates on clinical research in primary care

Latest updates from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network (CRN) Greater Manchester include the launch of an implementation toolkit focused on paramedics in general practice, plus a new research study for people with low mood.

New health and wellbeing training

The PCB’s health and wellbeing programme is delivering three new training opportunities for the primary care workforce.

Training can be either online or face to face and includes: Handling difficult situations – caring for yourselves and others with compassion; Having safe and effective wellbeing conversations; and NHS Leaders’ Wellbeing Local Programme.

Evaluation of GM Primary Care Summit

Thank you to everyone who completed the GM Primary Care Summit survey. We have updated our PC Summit page to include an evaluation report which will help us to plan for future events.

Menopause guidance and resources

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has published new guidance for employers regarding menopause in the workplace.

There is also a section dedicated to menopause on FutureNHS.

This is for anyone working in the NHS to understand more about the menopause, how you can support colleagues at work and for those experiencing menopause symptoms.

Good Employment Charter toolkit

The GM Good Employment Charter Implementation Toolkit for Health and Social Care Employers contains everything you’ll need to implement good employment in the workplace.

The toolkit was created with the help of health and care colleagues who have completed charter membership, and includes examples of best practice, case studies and links to useful documents and resources to assist with the process.

Listen in – latest podcasts

PCB colleagues feature heavily in the latest podcasts from the Primary Care Knowledge Boost!

Dr Tim Dalton, chair of General Practice Provider Board (GPPB), talks about how general practice is funded, while Dr Joanna Bircher, clinical director of the PCB’s GP Excellence Programme, shares her experience, along with two other GPs, of working as a salaried, partner and locum GP.

There’s also a third podcast which takes a deep dive into osteoporosis.

Latest update from GM Integrated Care Partnership

The May edition of the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership newsletter for partners and stakeholders is available online.

The latest edition includes details of the single improvement plan for NHS GM plus a new single point of contact for the patient services team. All contact details can be found on their website.

Events page

Don’t forget to check our events page for a range of webinars, conferences and training offers relevant to the primary care workforce. The calendar can be altered to view week by week, by month or in list form (agenda) according to your preference by using the tabs.

PDF version of Provider Update

Download a PDF version of issue 12 of the PCB Provider Update.

Welcome

The weeks seem to be flying by and we are almost in May already.

For many of us in primary care, that means more bank holidays and more pressures! That said, I hope everyone is keeping well and looking forward to some warmer weather.

For us at the PCB, we are taking the opportunity to look back at the work we have accomplished over the past 12 months and in a few months’ time we should be able to share with you our second-only annual review.

We’ve been consulting colleagues across all four primary care disciplines and asking for their key achievements and details of other work in progress, as well as aspirations for the future.

Once the document is finished, we will share our findings with you and hopefully it will be a good read!

It may seem like ages ago, but we are also compiling an evaluation report on the success of the Greater Manchester Primary Care Summit 2024, which we will share with you soon. Thanks to everyone who completed the survey, which will help us to improve for next time.

So, what’s happening right now? In this month’s update we have reminders to sign up to webinars to help you in your work, news about another health and care organisation that has joined the Good Employment Charter and the launch of the Pharmacy Excellence Programme.

The spring COVID-19 vaccination programme has also launched with an accompanying Greater Manchester campaign, to encourage people to come forward if eligible. Please support the campaign by using on your channels if you can.

I hope you enjoy reading this bulletin, and continue to find out the latest news and offers via the PCB website, X and LinkedIn.

If you have any comments or suggestions about this update, please let us know by emailing: info.gmpcb@nhs.net

Thank you,

Luvjit Kandula
Chair, Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board
Twitter: @luvjitkandula

PCB News

Occupational health provision  

You will have received notification that as of 1 April, all primary care providers in GM can access occupational health provision for needlestick and blood borne viruses thanks to a new contract between NHS Greater Manchester and Stockport Foundation Trust in collaboration with Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Foundation Trust.

The urgent access issues first raised by the PCB have now been resolved and we will update the PCB website with any new updates when we receive them.

Polypharmacy lunchtime webinars

The Health Innovation Network is running two lunchtime webinars for GPs, pharmacists, nurse prescribers and other health professionals.

Devolution evaluation

Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership shared its response last month to a recently published study on devolution by the University of Manchester.  

Pharmacy Excellence Programme launched

More than 400 community pharmacies in Greater Manchester can now access support to help them flourish via the new ReviveRx Pharmacy Excellence Programme.

There’s also an opportunity for additional personalised coaching for a limited cohort.

Bursary applications for RCGP conference

Applicants successful in their abstract submissions to this year’s Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) conference can apply to the GP Excellence programme for funding to attend the event.

GM pharmacies join MMR vaccine roll-out

A number of pharmacies across Greater Manchester are offering the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine to make it quicker and easier for people who have yet to be vaccinated.

Clinical research is growing among GM primary care

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network (CRN) Greater Manchester has seen a significant increase in the number of practices taking part in clinical research and invite you to learn more about their work.

We have also updated the PCB website to include information about how the NIHR can support research in pharmacies.

The Pharmacy Champion for NIHR CRN GM is Rachel Macdonald: rachel.macdonald@nihr.ac.uk

New peer ambassadors recruited to inspire and drive change

A request has been issued for primary care leaders to become peer ambassadors for a new national Primary Care Transformation Academy.

A letter has been circulated on behalf of Luvjit Kandula, Chair of Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board and Munisha Kumar, Chief Medical Officer at NHS GM.

The closing date for expressions of interest is 26 April, and we will bring updates when available.

Latest addition to the Good Employment Charter club

Bolton GP Federation has become the first federation in Greater Manchester to achieve member status of the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter.

Resources to support GPs with Pharmacy First

Community Pharmacy England has produced a set of resources aimed at GPs, PCNs and other stakeholders to help increase understanding of the Pharmacy First service.

Support for GM campaigns

The spring COVID-19 vaccination programme has started and the ‘Protect and Prevent’ campaign aims to encourage eligible people to come forward and get vaccinated.

For more information about the campaign and to download the toolkit to use on your channels until the end of June, visit the campaign resource centre on the NHS GM website.

The spring phase of the ‘Get To Know Where To Go’ campaign is also available until the end of May.

New podcasts

Two new podcasts by the Primary Care Knowledge Boost (PCKB) are now available.

Listen to: anticipatory care with Caitriona MacDermott and the GM non-clinical workforce passport with Satty Boyes and the PCB’s Lorna Laflin.

GP Excellence webinars

Extra capacity was added to a series of webinars organised by the GP Excellence programme – check our website for last minute availability in May if you’re interested in business continuity and responding well to conflict.

GP Excellence is also delivering webinars to help practices deliver the new quality standards for prescribing, diabetes and cardiovascular services.

GM Integrated Care Partnership update

The April edition of the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership newsletter for partners and stakeholders is now available.

It features a Health Innovation Manchester (HinM) blog about working with stakeholders to reduce harm from medicines.

GM Care Record update

The second edition of the GM Care Record stakeholder briefing has been issued and includes updates on how the care record is supporting organisations across GM, plus news of two awards for information governance.

Winter briefings come to an end

NHS GM published its 18^th and final weekly winter briefing for stakeholders with a thank you to health, care and voluntary workers ahead of the Easter weekend. All briefings, from 30 November 2023 and 28 March 2024 are published on the news section of our website.

If you have any feedback about the briefings, please email gmhscp.media@nhs.net

Events page

Don’t forget to check our events page for a range of webinars, conferences and training offers relevant to the primary care workforce. The calendar can be altered to view week by week, by month or in list form (agenda) according to your preference by using the tabs.

PDF version of Provider Update

Download a PDF version of issue 11 of the PCB Provider Update.

Welcome

It was great to see so many of you at the GM Primary Care Summit 2024 last week!

The event, on Thursday 21 March, epitomised the vision we have at the PCB, which is: “Primary care providers working collaboratively and in partnership at neighbourhood, place and system level to improve health and wellbeing throughout our communities.”

It was a chance for colleagues to showcase the excellent work they have been doing to improve primary care in their localities, as well as an opportunity to learn more about the delivery of the GM Primary Care Blueprint and understand what it means for each of us across community pharmacy, dentistry, general practice and optometry.

We also offered a selection of free workshops, which proved to be extremely popular and were very well-received.

A big ‘thank you’ to the workshop facilitators, those who had a stand in the marketplace and of course the attendees – as without your support, we wouldn’t have been able to deliver a summit!

I must also say a big thank you to everyone from the PCB and NHS GM, who worked so hard to organise the event, including our Chief Officer, Tracey Vell, and Managing Director, Janet Crofts.

In addition, I’d like to thank a few more people for their support and attendance on the day namely: Mark Fisher, Chief Executive; Manisha Kumar, Chief Medical Officer; Rob Bellingham, Chief Officer for Commissioning and Population Health; and Ben Squires, Director of Primary Care, all at NHS Greater Manchester; and Paula Cowan, the NHS North West Medical Director for Primary Care.

Personally, I thought it was a fabulous day and it certainly gave me a spring in my step afterwards. I hope you agree if you managed to secure a ticket.

If you couldn’t make it, please take the time to read a summary of the event in this month’s bulletin. If you did attend, please tell us your thoughts by filling out our survey.

I’ll just reiterate what I said on the day, which is that the PCB is absolutely committed to being the unified voice for primary care in Greater Manchester. We are a family, and you are a key part of that.

Also this month, we have an update on some of the PCB programmes which have supported hundreds of you over the past 12 months, details of the refreshed Get To Know Where To Go campaign – which we have provided insight to NHS GM for – and some helpful podcasts on musculoskeletal pain.

As always, the best way to find out about what’s happening and what we are involved in is to check the PCB website as well as X and LinkedIn.

I hope you enjoy reading the rest of this bulletin and if you have any comments or suggestions, please let us know by emailing: info.gmpcb@nhs.net

Thank you,

Luvjit Kandula
Chair, Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board
Twitter: @luvjitkandula

PCB News

Let’s collaborate and get radical!

Together with NHS Greater Manchester, we welcomed around 300 colleagues from primary care and wider health and care partners to the GM Primary Care Summit 2024.

It was great to see so many of you keen to hear more about the GM Primary Care Blueprint, share all the excellent work you have been doing and discuss ideas for the future.

Read more about the event on the PCB website and complete our survey.

Digital inclusion the talk of the town

The PCB has been raising the profile of the importance of digital inclusion over the past few weeks.

PCB programme updates

A number of programmes have come to an end for the period of 2023/24, with positive feedback and promising outcomes.

Read about our PCN Leadership, Proactive Care and PCN Development programmes, plus GP Excellence webinars.

Deadline approaching for NICE survey

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) survey to help shape NICE guidance closes on 7 April.

March winter briefings

NHS GM will continue to produce a weekly winter briefing for stakeholders until the end of March. All briefings are published on the news section of our website.

Refresh of primary care campaign

The spring phase of the NHS GM ‘Get To Know Where To Go’ campaign is now available to download and use on your channels between now and the end of May.

With lots of bank holidays, exam pressures and hayfever season coming up, NHS Greater Manchester is encouraging people to be well prepared and know where to go to get the help they need.

The toolkit includes suggested wording for your newsletters, social media assets and Whatsapp messages covering a range of themes, including promoting NHS 111, repeat prescriptions, pharmacy opening times, and urgent care services for dental, eyecare and mental health.

Measles updates

NHS GM continues to update its measles campaign, and has collated information and guidance for general practice.

A pack of translated MMR assets, including posters, social cards, print-out slips and more in 17 community languages have also been uploaded to the FutureNHS website.

Podcast mini-series

The final two podcasts in the Musculoskeletal mini-series have been published by the Primary Care Knowledge Boost (PCKB).

Episode two focuses on shoulder pain, while episode three is about knee pain.

If you missed episode one on back pain you can listen again via our website.

Consider the human aspects with new GP access models

Practices are encouraged to rethink access to general practice in a recent academic study by a Manchester GP.

Training for personalised care workforce

A series of training sessions have been designed to meet the needs of those working in personalised care roles as part of the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS).

Topics include ‘monitoring patient outcomes using standardised data capturing tools’ and ‘exploring additional ARRS roles’.

Undecided about clinical research?

If you’re unsure about the benefits of taking part in clinical research studies, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has produced a helpful video, which is on the PCB website.

The NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) Greater Manchester encourages you to take a look at their latest research offers.

Spring webinars from GP Excellence

Places for the latest webinars by the GP Excellence programme are being snapped up. Check our website for availability in April and May.

GM Integrated Care Partnership update

Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership’s monthly newsletter for partners and stakeholders is now available as a web page.

If you have subscribed, you will continue to receive the bulletin direct to your inbox, and we will share a link to the page as part of this Provider Update.

Events page

Don’t forget to check our events page for a range of webinars, conferences and training offers relevant to the primary care workforce. The calendar can be altered to view week by week, by month or in list form (agenda) according to your preference by using the tabs.

PDF version of Provider Update

Download a PDF version of issue 10 of the PCB Provider Update.

Welcome

Doesn’t it make a difference to your mood knowing that spring is just around the corner and the nights are getting lighter?

As we enter the season of new beginnings, we have plenty to look forward to and celebrate, which brings me directly to the Greater Manchester Primary Care Summit 2024 which will be held on Thursday 21 March.

I’m pleased to see that many of you have already reserved your place for either the morning or afternoon session, and I would urge you book now if you haven’t done already.

Places are filling up fast and we have released more detail about the day, which promises to be filled with tools, support and examples of how you can kickstart your journey to deliver the GM Primary Care Blueprint. It’s a fantastic opportunity to network with colleagues across all four disciplines of primary care and also meet the blueprint delivery team.

Last month I mentioned the launch of the Pharmacy First service and since then we have updated the PCB website with resources for general practice. The page will be continuously updated, so please check it regularly – details are in the bulletin below.

Pharmacy teams have worked hard to get ready to deliver this service and more than 600 pharmacists have attended face-to-face clinical training.

We also have news about the Optometry Excellence programme which is developing nicely. The Pharmacy Excellence programme has now been finalised and will support community pharmacy teams to optimise operations, with the aim of releasing capacity to deliver high quality clinical services.

The PCB is currently involved in researching and developing a new Freedom to Speak Up Guardians programme, and an appropriate Occupational Health service for primary care. There’s a brief overview in this month’s bulletin, and we’ll provide more updates when we get them.

We will also post on our website soon about the PCB’s leadership programme for PCN Clinical Directors and managers, so watch this space. This has proved to be a valuable development of up to 60 leaders in general practice. You may have seen the cohort on our social channels recently when they took part in an in-person learning session as part of the programme.

Don’t forget that the PCB social channels (X and LinkedIn) and our website are the first places to find out about our news, as well as some partner content you may find interesting.

As ever, primary care and the work we do via the PCB keeps us extremely busy and we are doing our best to keep you informed, as well as raising our collective profile and issues that are impacting primary care where it matters.

We’re often invited to speak at events and conferences, and Janet Crofts, managing director at the PCB, took part in a panel discussion at the NHS Confederation Primary Care Conference this week.

The discussion focused on the value of primary care collaboration in health and care systems, working at scale and alongside hospital and community services – so thanks to Janet for flying the flag for the PCB!

I also had the opportunity to attend the Labour party healthcare leaders’ summit earlier this year which provided us the opportunity to briefly speak with Keir Starmer about the critical role of primary care and the need for its future investment.

I hope you enjoy reading the rest of this bulletin and if you have any comments or suggestions, please let us know by emailing: info.gmpcb@nhs.net

Thank you,

Luvjit Kandula
Chair, Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board
Twitter: @luvjitkandula

PCB News

Primary care summit

Places are filling up fast for the GM Primary Care Summit on Thursday 21 March.

Kickstart your journey on delivering the Blueprint and make sure you’ve booked your place.

We’ve created a dedicated webpage on the Blueprint and the event, so please check regularly for updates.

Digital First Primary Care webinars

Digital First Primary Care (DFPC) is running a series of webinars for GP practices.

‘GP Website – Improving your Digital Front Door’ will focus on how general practice websites can play a key role in promoting patient engagement and serve as the ‘digital front door’ to GP services.

‘Understanding and Promoting the NHS App’ will focus on the features and functions of the NHS App and how they can be best used in practice.

You can read about an event where the DFPC team presented updates on their work as part the Advancing Quality Alliance (Aqua) Digital First Academy.

Optometry Excellence

Progress is being made on developing a new Greater Manchester Optometry Excellence programme.

The programme will be rolled out to the workforce throughout 2024.

Weekly winter briefings

NHS GM is continuing to produce a weekly winter briefing for stakeholders. All briefings are published on the news section of our website.

Primary care campaigns

Several NHS GM measles resources are now available to download from the campaigns page of their website. The measles page has also been refreshed to include the latest information about cases, signs and symptoms and the MMR vaccination. NHS GM is currently working on developing videos in community languages which they hope to circulate soon. A North-West Q&A is also available which includes a regional quote from Dr Linda Charles-Ozuzu, Regional Director of Commissioning, NHSE NW, that you can use in your local communications.

Phase two of the NHS GM Protect and Prevent campaign focuses on flu vaccination. The updated toolkit includes suggested wording to use on your own websites and social media channels. The campaign will run until the end of March.

Latest podcasts

The latest podcasts by the Primary Care Knowledge Boost (PCKB) focus on polypharmacy and the launch of an MSK mini-series on back pain.

More on the polypharmacy programme can be found on the Health Innovation Manchester website.

Pharmacy First resources

We have updated the PCB website with information about the Pharmacy First service, following its launch on 31 January.

The new Pharmacy First page includes resources for general practice and the clinical pathways for the service.

We’ve also made some updates to the community pharmacy advanced services page.

Deadline for the GM Health and Care Champion Awards

The deadline for nominations in the Greater Manchester Health and Care Champion Awards is 15 March.

There’s lots of categories to nominate your champion for, including learner of the year, employer of the year and equalities champion. The awards are open to all primary care colleagues.

Freedom to Speak Up Guardians

Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board (PCB) and NHS Greater Manchester are reviewing the provision of Freedom to Speak Up Guardians across all aspects of primary care.

The results of a survey, which closes on 29 February, will help to shape an appropriate programme for primary care and the wider integrated system.

Support offers for general practice and PCNs

National support offers from the General Practice Improvement Programme (GPIP) are available to view on the PCB website.

The latest offers run until March.

Hosting a trainee pharmacist

PCNs and practices have been invited to apply to host a trainee pharmacist before 1 March.

If successful, placements will cover the period 2025/26.

Review of Occupational Health services

A review of Occupational Health services across primary care providers is being carried out by Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board (PCB) and NHS Greater Manchester.

Practice managers, workforce leads and HR managers from all four disciplines were asked to complete a short survey during February.

The results will help us to ensure consistent and accessible provision for staff across community pharmacy, dentistry, general practice and optometry.

Social prescribing for children and young people

An online learning event to help PCNs understand social prescribing for children and young people will be held on 18 March.

A guide published by the National Academy for Social Prescribing explains how PCNs can use ARRS funding to recruit specialist link workers that work with young people.

GM Care Record updates

The latest GM Care Record stakeholder newsletter is now available, including updates on community pharmacy access to the record and a new data sharing campaign.

Clinical research updates

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network (CRN) Greater Manchester has updated its research offers for primary care, and invites you to two open events over the next couple of months – a showcase of 2023/24 research projects and a CRN meeting for primary care.

GM resilience hub

The Greater Manchester Resilience Hub, which provides a wellbeing service for health and care staff, is currently undergoing a review and therefore unable to accept new referrals for individual support.

If you currently receive support, this will not change and your support will continue. If you are on their waiting list (referred before 31 December 2023) you will be contacted as soon as an appointment is available.

Events page

Don’t forget to check our events page for a range of webinars, conferences and training offers relevant to the primary care workforce. The calendar can be altered to view week by week, by month or in list form (agenda) according to your preference by using the tabs.

PDF version of Provider Update

Download a PDF version of issue 9 of the Provider Update

Welcome

And welcome to 2024! When do we stop wishing each other a ‘happy new year’?

I truly hope it is a happy and healthy one for you all and that you managed to get a little rest.

As we all know in primary care, even a public holiday doesn’t stop the work from coming – and there’s lots happening at the moment.

In community pharmacy, the GM community pharmacy services working group has been particularly busy with preparations for the launch of the Pharmacy First service on 31 January, along with the introduction of hypertension case finding and the pharmacy contraception service, which were announced as part of the delivery plan for recovering access to primary care.

We have an update for you on the PCB website which is included in this newsletter.

Also included are a few items you may have missed from December, namely the results of the GP Awards and a couple of upcoming engagements focussing on digital primary care.

We’ve also got updates on winter activity, the launch of new resources to help you in your work and some dates for your diary of useful webinars and sessions on various topics.

I’m also delighted to say that we have a very important date to look forward to – the Greater Manchester Primary Care Summit 2024. A ‘save the date’ has been issued, but if you haven’t yet received it, please check the information below which will take you to the PCB website.

More details will follow on our channels and via the usual cascade in the next few weeks, and I hope to see many of you there on Thursday, 21 March.

If you have any comments or suggestions about this update, please let us know by emailing: info.gmpcb@nhs.net

Thank you,

Luvjit Kandula
Chair, Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board
Twitter: @luvjitkandula

In case you missed it…

In December, we posted about the General Practice Awards 2023. Another huge congratulations to all the winners, which you can find on our website.

We also publicised two upcoming appearances by the PCB’s digital lead, Dr Chris Nortcliff, in February – when he will shine the spotlight on digital primary care.

Primary care winter surge capacity

An investment of £2 million, from December, was pledged to primary care to meet the demands of the winter period up to March, 2024.

All sectors of primary care were set to benefit, and we will bring further details as the schemes develop.

Weekly winter briefings

NHS GM is producing a weekly winter briefing for stakeholders. All briefings are published on the news section of our website.

Primary care winter campaigns

The NHS GM Get To Know Where To Go (GTKWTG) campaign, aimed at helping patients to know where to get help over the winter period, continues to run until the end of February.

A separate campaign encouraging those eligible to get their winter vaccinations, Protect and Prevent, is also running until the end of January, when the Covid winter vaccination programme will end. Revised assets for the continued flu vaccination campaign will be uploaded soon, and will run until March.

All NHS GM campaigns can be found on the campaigns page of their website, along with instructions on how to use them. You are encouraged to post on your channels as appropriate.

Latest podcasts

This month’s Primary Care Knowledge Boost (PCKB) podcasts include episodes on frailty, chronic pain and heavy menstrual bleeding.

GM pain management resources hub

Healthcare professionals in GM who support people living with pain can now access a new pain management resources hub that has been co-designed with clinicians and Health Innovation Manchester.

You can find information on the resources section of our website or go direct to the HinM website to access the hub.

Pharmacy First updates

Following the announcement of the Pharmacy First service in November, preparations are underway for its launch on 31 January, with the majority of pharmacies signed up to deliver the service.

Clinical training and engagement sessions for general practice and community pharmacies are taking place throughout January.

GP Excellence webinars

Additional places have been added to a series of webinars organised by the GP Excellence programme, covering the topics ‘Year-end planning and preparation’ and ‘Creating a business plan’.

Book your place on these popular sessions.

Also, PCNs can attend a new webinar entitled: ‘PCNs – Whistle-stop tour of primary care finance’, as part of the ongoing PCN development programme.

Non-clinical workforce passport

A Greater Manchester general practice non-clinical workforce passport has been launched to help those working in non-clinical roles have greater access to training and keep a digital record of the training they have completed.

Primary care summit

A ‘save the date’ has been issued for the Greater Manchester Primary Care Summit, on Thursday 21 March.

Jointly hosted by the Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board (PCB) and NHS GM, the event will provide an opportunity for primary care providers and wider health and care partners to learn more about the delivery of the Greater Manchester Primary Care Blueprint.

Dates for your diary…

Check our events page for a range of webinars, conferences and training offers relevant to the primary care workforce. The calendar can be altered to view week by week, by month or in list form (agenda) according to your preference by using the tabs.

A reminder of some events already publicised on PCB channels include:

• Learn more about Pride in Practice (30 January)

• Polypharmacy Action Learning Sets for GPs, pharmacists, prescribers managing older people with medication issues (various dates)

• GM Cancer Forum free study afternoon for non-clinical primary care professionals (20 February)

• Development offers from the General Practice Improvement Programme (GPIP) (various dates)

• Learn more about clinical research opportunities with NIHR (31 January)

PDF version of Provider Update

Download a PDF version of issue 8 of the PCB Provider Update.

Welcome

The Christmas break (for some!) is almost upon us and as chair of the Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board, I wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

If you can take a break, I hope you get the chance to spend time with your loved ones and manage to get some rest and recouperation.

Under normal circumstances, the next edition of Provider Update would be due out during the last week in December, so we have decided to take a pause in the hope that you won’t be checking emails unless urgent!

Provider Update will be back in January, and until then please continue to check our social channels and the PCB website for news as it happens, including the latest podcasts.

In the meantime, there’s a couple of things I want to draw your attention to, namely the recent article in Healthcare Leader in which Tracey Vell and Rob Bellingham talk about how the PCB encourages and supports collaborative working within all disciplines of primary care and across the system as a whole.

There is ongoing system engagement and collaboration to ensure that primary care can innovate and develop its role now and in the future to support our patients and residents in GM, so it was good to see leaders acknowledge our important role.

There’s also an interesting blog on NHS Voices, featuring Dr Chris Nortcliff’s work with the GM Digital First Primary Care programme.

I also want to take this opportunity to congratulate Ben Squires on his new appointment as Director of Primary Care at NHS GM.

Ben will provide leadership to the GM Primary Care team, alongside support to the wider GM system and the delivery of the Primary Care Blueprint.

Of course, the health needs of our residents don’t stop at Christmas time which means many of you will be working and it can be a stressful time as a result.

This time of year can be challenging, for all sorts of reasons, but there is help available if you’re struggling. The PCB is continuing to work on ensuring access to wellbeing offers for primary care colleagues, which you can find on the health and wellbeing section of our website. There are also campaigns to help support your patients, which are also available on our website.

Please take care, and we’ll see you in 2024!

If you have any comments or suggestions about this update, please let us know by emailing: info.gmpcb@nhs.net

Thank you,

Luvjit Kandula
Chair, Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board
Twitter: @luvjitkandula

PDF version of Provider Update

Download a PDF version of issue 7 of the PCB Provider Update.

Welcome

As you all know, winter can be a gruelling time for primary care and I’m sure you are all feeling the effects already.

The focus of many meetings and discussions at PCB and system level are around how we can best support colleagues throughout this period.

You may be aware of the plan to introduce surge hubs in each locality to help all disciplines of primary care to provide the right care, with the right clinician, at the right time over the winter months.

These hubs are expected to be in place very soon and I’m pleased to say that your PCB has been involved in the developments on behalf of community pharmacy, dentistry, general practice and optometry.

We are also raising awareness of other pressures and challenges on behalf of all primary care by providing regular updates to the system and we continue to develop the primary care sit-rep tool which launched in September. We do this with the aim of ensuring the correct support is in place for primary care colleagues, which includes practical as well as health and wellbeing support.

In this update you’ll find more good news, namely the success of some recent PCB events – aimed at supporting colleagues in targeted areas of their work – also, the announcement of the new Pharmacy First service, and a number of campaigns aimed at helping the public to understand how primary care works and how to get the right help when needed.

I’d also like to thank everyone who has supported the PCB and its work to date, by either reading this newsletter, following us on social media, visiting our website or attending the training and events provided. We know it takes time to engage with these things, but over the past few months we’ve seen a real increase in the number of colleagues interacting with our channels.

It’s heartwarming and encouraging to know that you value what we’re trying to do!

If you have any comments or suggestions about this update, please let us know by emailing: info.gmpcb@nhs.net

Thank you,

Luvjit Kandula
Chair, Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board
Twitter: @luvjitkandula

PCB News

Pharmacy First launch

From 1 December a new Pharmacy Contraception Service and Hypertension Case-Finding Service (NHS blood pressure check) will be introduced to pharmacies. Plus, treatment for seven common conditions under the new Pharmacy First service will be launched on 31 January.

Another great PCN Development Programme event

The third event as part of the PCN Development Programme provided an opportunity for colleagues to network and learn from each other, when they met at The Studio on 2 November.

Topics included ‘enhanced access’, ‘QI for PCNs’ and ‘PCN incorporation’.

Could you benefit from clinical research?

If you attended the PCN Development Day, you may have heard the presentation by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network (CRN) Greater Manchester.

They offer a range of opportunities to get involved in clinical research. Read our update or listen to their recent Primary Care Knowledge Boost podcast.

Latest podcasts

As well as the NIHR podcast mentioned above, the resource section of our website has the latest Primary Care Knowledge Boost (PCKB) podcasts available to download.

This month’s collection includes Dentistry as part of primary care and Sustainability in general practice.

Proactive Care progress

The Proactive Care Programme for PCNs is in full swing, with a series of workshops, webinars and even a visit to a GM health hub.

The programme is designed to help PCNs improve patient outcomes and ultimately reduce demand on primary and secondary care.

Training opportunities

An opportunity to gain an accredited qualification in violence prevention and reduction is available to people working in primary care settings. Dates are available in January and February 2024 with the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), commissioned by NHS England.

Get ready for GP Awards

We’d like to congratulate those who have been shortlisted for the General Practice Awards 2023 on 8 December. Good luck GM primary care!

Primary care campaigns

There are currently a number of live NHS GM campaigns which are aimed at supporting primary care. As a PCB, we are routinely consulted on campaigns and asked to provide feedback to ensure they are co-produced with a primary care focus and input.

The Get To Know Where To Go (GTKWTG) campaign is aimed at helping patients to know where to get help over the winter period. An updated version for December will be shared soon.

Phase two of the Who’s who at your GP practice campaign has just been released and features more health and care professionals from GP practices. Like phase one, the aim is to raise awareness of the new roles supported by ARRS (Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme) and highlight how they can support patients.

There is also a toolkit which features a range of mental health support, promoted via different campaigns, including SilverCloud, Kooth and Qwell for young people, and Shining a Light on Suicide.

If you can, please support by posting on your patient-facing channels.

Is your practice veteran friendly?

Remembrance Day may have passed but you can still become a veteran friendly practice. We’re aiming for at least one GP practice from every PCN to become veteran friendly to ensure your veteran patients receive the best possible healthcare for their specific needs.

Targeted health and wellbeing support

GP practices have been receiving support to meet the requirements of the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) Quality Improvement (QI) workforce wellbeing module, via the PCB’s health and wellbeing programme.

If your practice would benefit from some guidance, please get in touch.

News from GM Care Record

A stakeholder brief featuring updates on the Greater Manchester Care Record has been relaunched. If you’re interested in receiving their updates directly, please subscribe to the newsletter.

Blueprint in the news

Since the GM Primary Care Blueprint was launched last month there has been some media interest from industry press. Look out for interviews with Tracey Vell, Chief Officer, Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board, and Rob Bellingham, Director of Primary Care and Strategic Commissioning, NHS GM, in Pulse and Optometry Today.

Dates for your diary…

The next Greater Manchester Medicines Optimisation Community of Practice (CoP) event takes place virtually on Thursday, 18 January 2024, from 11am to 1pm.

Check our events page for a range of webinars, conferences and training offers relevant to the primary care workforce. The calendar can be altered to view week by week, by month or in list form (agenda) according to your preference by using the tabs.

PDF version of Provider Update

Download a PDF version of issue 6 of the PCB Provider Update.

Welcome

You’ll often hear the phrase ‘hit the ground running’ when it comes to taking on a new role – and I can certainly vouch for that since taking over as chair of the PCB!

One of my first jobs in my official capacity was to attend the approval of the Greater Manchester Primary Care Blueprint at a Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership Board with Rob and Tracey, followed by a formal signing of the document along with other system leaders. The recognition of primary care as a key part of the GM system is a positive step forward for the future.

You’ll find a photograph marking the occasion on our social channels and website, along with an update about an event for all primary care providers included in this month’s bulletin. There’s a link to the article below.

One project we have all been working on is the new sitrep tool for primary care. This has been in operation for a few weeks and we’ve received useful feedback on how it’s working for you and how it can be improved. Something we’re hearing loud and clear is that there needs to be an assurance that once completed, someone will act on the information submitted.

The PCB continues to flag the challenges and system pressures on behalf of primary care providers however, we need your support to provide the data to strengthen our case. That’s why we’re asking you to complete the forms on Tableau when asked.

We’re working on ensuring information is flagged with the right people, so the most appropriate support can be put into action, so please bear with us. In the meantime, we have updated the support page on the PCB website to include direct contact details for providers to use when needed – read more in the update below.

This edition also has updates on the Primary Care Knowledge Boost podcast and a new events page on the PCB website.

If you have any comments or suggestions about this update, please let us know by emailing: info.gmpcb@nhs.net

Thank you,

Luvjit Kandula
Chair, Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board
Twitter: @luvjitkandula

PCB News

Launch of Primary Care Blueprint

The GM Primary Care Blueprint was officially signed and approved at the end of September and details of the five-year plan have been publicised by NHS GM and the PCB.

An online event to launch and discuss the blueprint with providers has been deferred until the new year, when we’ll have more detail around how the blueprint will be delivered and the support available.

Campaign resources on CPCS

A suite of campaign resources for GPs to use in promoting the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS) has been added to the PCB website. You can find them on the GP Community Pharmacist Consultation Service page, under ‘useful resources’.

Third event in PCN Development Programme

A handful of places remain for the next event in our PCN Development Programme on Thursday, 2 November. Please reserve your place on Eventbrite to avoid disappointment!

Hearing from people who have first-hand experience in the many challenges faced by primary care is invaluable.

Updates to sitrep support page

Thank you for your feedback so far on the new primary care sitrep tool, launched in September on Tableau.  

We hope that you find the accompanying support page useful and, as promised, we will continuously update the information. Please revisit the page for some recently added useful contacts.

Survey to improve proxy access to children’s GP services

A quick reminder to complete the survey, which has been sent to all GP practices and PCNs, before the end of October.

Podcast reaches exciting milestone

We’re delighted to announce that the Primary Care Knowledge Boost (PCKB) podcast has reached an impressive milestone – one million downloads!

Read more on our news page and check out the latest episodes via our social media channels or on the resources section of our website.

Information to support young people experiencing self-harm

NHS Greater Manchester has produced information resources for young people and their parents and carers, which explain why people may self-harm, how to talk about it and strategies to help young people manage their emotions before they reach a crisis, while highlighting sources of help.

The resources can be shared with patients.

Young people and eating disorders – support for primary care

NHS GM has also produced a dedicated web page with guidelines for primary care professionals in supporting young people with suspected eating disorders.

It includes a video on how to make referrals and how the service is organised, plus a video case study of a young person who was successfully treated by the community eating disorder service.

There is also a leaflet containing useful signposts to support, for people concerned about someone with a suspected eating disorder.

Digital skills programme

We have partnered with the Greater Manchester Training Hub to host a series of one-hour seminars to improve the digital skills of your workforce.

The sessions run until December and cover a range of topics, including Tableau, Microsoft, and getting the most out of Docman 10. Register your interest by completing the online form.

Dates for your diary…

We’re regularly sent ‘dates for your diary’ which you may find interesting, and have been including them as part of this update, like the ones listed below.

To supply you with the events in the quickest way we can, we are launching a new ‘events page’ on the PCB website.

You’ll find a range of webinars, conferences and training offers relevant to the primary care workforce. The calendar can be altered to view week by week, by month or in list form (agenda) according to your preference by using the tabs.

Let us know what you think…

• Free study afternoon with The Cancer Forum and GatewayC (21 November)
• Greater Manchester Personalised Care Workforce Conference (22 November)
• Digital weight management refresh and update (6 November)
• Deadline for Fairer Health for All Fellowship (10 November)

PDF version of Provider Update

Download a PDF version of issue 5 of the PCB Provider Update.

Welcome

As the new chair of Greater Manchester Primary Care Board (GMPCB), I’m pleased to introduce the September edition of Provider Update.

I’d like to thank Dharmesh Patel for his leadership to date, and welcome Dr Tim Dalton as vice-chair of the PCB.

I hope you all had a good summer – or rather the one week of sunshine we managed to enjoy! I think it’s safe to say that this time of year means that, as primary care professionals, we are readying ourselves for the big push through winter.

So, it’s more important than ever that we look after our health and wellbeing and that of our workforce. In this edition, you will see some links to wellbeing resources and I would urge you to take a look and utilise them if needed. There’s even more help available on the GMPCB website.

In other news, we have made significant progress with the GM Primary Care Blueprint – so thank you to everyone who provided feedback on the draft version. We’ll be sharing the detail and how we can work together on the next steps via an online event in October. More information is in the bulletin below.

As a PCB, we bring together providers from across all disciplines of primary care (community pharmacy, dentistry, general practice and optometry), ensuring we have a unified voice and influence in the wider GM health and care system. Changes are being made to improve how everyone works together, but we will continue to represent the interests of primary care providers as we navigate through the process, as explained below.

Finally, a request to sign up to Tableau if you could – the Integrated Care System has been made aware of the ongoing challenges and pressures faced by our Primary Care teams. To help us, we would be grateful if you could complete the updated sit rep tool so GM has visibility of the pressures. This will help us to support you better in the future.

This bulletin features just a selection of recent updates. Don’t forget to regularly check our website and social channels for further information.

If you have any comments or suggestions about this update, please let us know by emailing: info.gmpcb@nhs.net

Thank you,

Luvjit Kandula
Chair, Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board
Twitter: @luvjitkandula

PCB News

Successful second event in PCN Development Programme

The second event in our PCN Development Programme welcomed more than 100 delegates to hear from ‘refreshing, inspiring and informative’ experts on a range of topics linked to the GM Primary Care Blueprint.

Keep an eye on our website for details of the next session on 2 November.

Save the date – launch of Primary Care Blueprint

The Primary Care Blueprint will be launched on Friday 20 October with an initial event via MS Teams.

Please check the GMPCB website and social channels for further updates.

Update on Provider Collaboratives

Following an independent review (by Carnall Farrar), a new operating model for the GM system has been agreed, including how it works with Provider Collaboratives.

Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board (GMPCB) is a provider collaboration, representing all primary care providers.

Wider PCB membership

Please visit the PCB website for updates to wider PCB membership, following the installation of a new chair and vice-chair in the summer.

New web page on Access

We now have a dedicated page on our website which brings together useful resources and positive case studies to help general practice improve how patients access their services, as set out in the national delivery plan and Primary Care Blueprint.

Support for sitrep tool

The new primary care sitrep support page on the PCB website is now live! Please visit this page for current offers available to primary care providers needing support when completing the new GM sitrep tool on Tableau.

Programme updates

Several new GMPCB programmes are now under way. The PCN Leadership Programme ‘Progressing PCNs’ was launched on 6 September, while the Place-based GP Board Development Programme is working with each of the 10 chairs to help their board to thrive.

The new PCN support package around Proactive Care was also launched in September. PCNs have chosen their cohorts and submitted their data ahead of a face-to-face workshop on 10 October.

More updates to follow soon.

Latest podcasts

The Primary Care Knowledge Boost (PCKB) podcasts are regularly shared via our social media channels and are hosted in the resources section of our website.

Latest ones include an insight into optometry and how it works within the primary care team, by our very own former PCB chair Dharmesh Patel.

Studies for general practice and dentistry

The Primary Care Advisory Board has updated its list of current study opportunities for primary care, including general practice and dentistry.

Looking After You – new peer wellbeing sessions

Looking After You offers free, confidential coaching and support for the primary care workforce. You can register for individual and team coaching sessions, or try their new initiative – a series of peer wellbeing sessions.

Dates are available from October for women from ethnically diverse backgrounds, men only, and an open group.

Workforce wellbeing support

In addition to the Looking After You offers, there is a range of free, confidential resources available to support you with your wellbeing, collated in this handy poster. These are open to everyone working in primary care and healthcare as a whole, so please share with your workforce.

Help for PCNs dealing with money-related health issues

NHS GM’s Person and Community Centred Approaches team and Citizen’s Advice GM are looking for PCNs to help them explore a new concept.

They’d like to consider whether a new specialist Social Prescribing Link Worker in Primary Care could help to provide financial advice, support, and navigation to patients with money-related health issues, beyond what is currently easily accessible.

PCNs interested in exploring this opportunity, or helping to further develop the idea, should contact gmhscp.pcca@nhs.net before the end of September.

Support is currently available to primary care via the Personalised Care Institute’s Money Talk Toolkit.

Personalised care and ARRS roles

Personalised Care Week takes place from 25 to 28 September and the Personalised Care Institute has free conferences, webinars, videos and activities. 

If you are unable to join any sessions, there are a number of free eLearning opportunities that are always available.

If your practice wants to learn more about the personalised care ARRS roles, this flyer explains how they work. Ongoing support is also available – get in touch with Charlotte Leonhardsen: c.leonhardsen@nhs.net

Dates for your diary…

• Fairer Health for All Fellowship Programme Lunch and Learn (2 October)
• Matching Workforce to Demand (5 October)
• Word of Hope poetry event – part of the Shining a Light on Suicide’s ‘Month of Hope’ calendar (5 October)
• Demand and Capacity webinars (dates from 11 October)
• Getting Started Series: Groups Consultations and Virtual Group Consultations (18 October)
• NW panel discussion: Menopause and our health and social care workforce (18 October)

PDF version of issue 4 of the Provider Update

Download a PDF version of issue 4 of the PCB Provider Update.

Welcome

You may have already heard via our communications channels that we have now appointed my replacement as PCB chair!  

I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome Luvjit Kandula to the post and I’m sure you will join me in wishing her well.  

As a result, this will be my last introduction to the newsletter but I am sure I will see you around as I continue in my substantive role as chair of the GM Optometry Provider Board (OPB) and in my work with the wider GM Integrated Care Partnership (ICP).  

We have also appointed a vice-chair of the PCB in Dr Tim Dalton, who you may know as the relatively new chair of the GM General Practice Provider Board (GPB).  

I’d like to thank everyone for their support and contributions over the past few years as we have seen the PCB form and grow to what it is today, which is a valid and significant partner in the ICP; providing a unified voice on behalf of all primary care providers in GM.  

We have included more information about these new appointments in the news item below, so please have a read.  

As you will see, the PCB is extremely busy and involved in lots of projects and programmes of work, with plenty more in the pipeline.   This update represents just a flavour of what we’re involved in or supporting, so please regularly check our website and social channels for up-to-date information.

If you have any comments or suggestions about this update, please let us know by emailing: info.gmpcb@nhs.net

Thank you,

Dharmesh Patel
Chair, Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board
Twitter: @DharmeshP108

PCB News

Changes to PCB leadership

A huge welcome to our new chair, Luvjit Kandula, and vice-chair, Dr Tim Dalton.

They will represent and support the four areas of primary care – dentistry, general practice, pharmacy and optometry – providing a unified voice within Greater Manchester. Further updates to the wider membership are to follow.

ICP joint forward plan

The Joint Forward Plan, produced by Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership, is now available on the ICP website.

This is the detailed action plan to support the ICP Strategy that was agreed in March 2023.

Primary Care sit-rep support page

Watch this space for updates on the new primary care sit-rep support page on the PCB website which is currently under construction.

You may have been engaged in the development of the new situation reports being developed for ALL provider disciplines across primary care and our Business Intelligence (BI) team is working behind the scenes on getting them updated following valuable feedback.

Progressing PCNs – new PCN leadership programme

A new PCN Leadership Programme has been launched by Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board (GMPCB) in partnership with the NHS Confederation. ‘Progressing PCNs’ is scheduled to begin on Wednesday 6 September and has been specifically designed for PCN clinical directors together with PCN managers, or another senior clinical leader from the same PCN.

Proactive care – new support offer for PCNs

NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care (NHSGM) and Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board (GMPCB) will deliver an exciting new support package for 20 PCNs in Greater Manchester.

The six-month programme includes targeted support for PCNs to develop new models of proactive care with the aim of improving patient outcomes and reducing demand on primary and secondary care.

Greater Manchester Resilience Hub – new campaign

‘Putting on a brave face?’ is a new campaign aimed at health and care staff across Greater Manchester. The campaign raises awareness of the Greater Manchester Resilience Hub’s staff wellbeing service.

GM health and care champion awards

Congratulations to those primary care colleagues who were shortlisted for the GM Health and Social Care Champions Awards!

We’re delighted that Hawkley Brook Medical Practice scooped Employer of the Year on the back of the Wigan based GP practice becoming the first health and care organisation to become a member of the Good Employment Charter.

To view all winners and shortlists, visit the GM Integrated Care Partnership website.

Invitation to submit research to SAPC conference

Primary care colleagues are invited to submit research ahead of this year’s Society for Academic Primary Care (SAPC) North conference in Manchester.

Examples of primary care research projects, or abstracts, should be around this year’s conference themes of partnering with local communities, improving health equity and embracing technological and societal change.

Podcasts

The latest Primary Care Knowledge Boost (PCKB) podcast features Community Pharmacy Board chair, Luvjit Kandula, talking about the pressures that community pharmacy are under and the different and emerging services they are involved in.

Also, Practice Manager Kay Keane highlights the work they do at Urban Village Medical Practice in Manchester to support their homeless patients in accessing services, in an Ockham Healthcare podcast.

Care navigation training

PCNs can still register for care navigation training. Provided by NHS England, this training is intended to support the delivery of the Primary Care Access Improvement Plan.

Studies for general practice and dentistry

The Primary Care Advisory Board is raising awareness of various study opportunities for primary care, including general practice and dentistry.  

Update on direct communications to primary care

Further to previous messages about how we are working with NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care on reviewing and streamlining communications to primary care colleagues, please read this update from Tracey Vell, Chief Officer of the PCB and Rob Bellingham, Director of Primary Care and Strategic Commissioning for NHS GM Integrated Care.  

Dates for your diary…

• Polypharmacy Action Learning Sets – for GPs passionate about stopping medicines safely:

Cohort 10 (8 November, 22 November, 6 December)

Cohort 11 (24 January, 7 February 28 February)

• Pain management techniques and the benefits of reducing harm from opioids workshop – by Health Innovation Manchester: 21 September
• Good Employment Health and Care Lunch and Learn – by the Good Employment Charter: 23 August
• Growth after grief – by Doctors in Distress: starts 5 October
• PCN Development Programme – spaces still available on some sessions: 14 September

PDF version of issue 3 of the Provider Update

Download a PDF version of issue 3 of the PCB Provider Update.

Welcome

I’d like to welcome you to the second of our regular updates and hope you enjoyed reading last month’s round-up.

Thank you to everyone who found Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board (PCB) on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Our audience is growing day by day and as I mentioned last time, we’re using our social channels and the GMPCB website as a primary source of news and updates, which we’ll follow up with this monthly overview.

As I am writing this welcome message, it means that I am still in post as PCB chair! Rest assured, we are working on the new leadership and membership and – as promised – we’ll have an update for you very soon.

You’ll all be aware that the NHS celebrated its 75^th birthday recently, and I joined our Chief Officer, Tracey Vell, in saying a big ‘thank-you’ to our NHS staff, and in particular those who work in primary care, via our social channels. I hope you were able to take a moment to reflect on all of your achievements as a primary care provider.

As ever, there are lots of things happening in the PCB, as well as the wider integrated care partnership, and we have tried to include as much as we can in this month’s update.

Just to add, at the bottom of each update we have included some quick links to key resources, including the GP Excellence programme, our health and wellbeing pages, our Twitter feed and the general GMPCB website. Just ‘Ctrl and Click’ to follow the links embedded in the coloured icons at the end.

If you have any comments or suggestions about this update, please let us know by emailing: info.gmpcb@nhs.net

Thank you,

Dharmesh Patel
Chair, Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board
Twitter: @DharmeshP108

PCB News

PCN development programme – day two

Registration for the second day of the Greater Manchester Primary Care Network (PCN) development programme is now open.

GP practices should have received an email inviting them to book a place for the next session in the programme, which takes place on Thursday 14 September.

Visit our PCN development programme page on the GMPCB website for more information and to reserve your place.

Financial health check webinars

Dates are still available for our July webinars in partnership with the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP).

Entitled ‘Building the foundations for financial sustainability: A financial health check for General Practices’, these in-depth webinars will cover the intricacies of primary care finance governing and forecasting.

Good Employment Charter membership

Two GP practices in Wigan have become the latest health providers to join the Good Employment Charter (GEC).

Marus Bridge Medical Practice and The Shakespeare Surgery join Hawkley Brook Medical Practice, also in Wigan, in demonstrating employment excellence across seven characteristics, as defined by the GEC.

Greater Manchester Wellbeing Toolkit

The Greater Manchester Wellbeing Toolkit is now in its third year and has recently been refreshed to include new sections on burnout and stress.

Aimed at the wider health and care workforce across Greater Manchester, the toolkit can help you to create better wellbeing in the workplace.

Take an interactive quiz to check your own wellbeing or join a virtual event to understand how to use the toolkit with your team.

National support offers for primary care

NHS England also provides a range of support offers to everyone working within the NHS. These are intended to complement any local support, like the Greater Manchester Wellbeing Toolkit, and this updated toolkit by ‘Supporting our NHS people’ features specific offers for those working in primary care.

Latest PCKB podcasts

As you may be aware, our GP Excellence programme works closely with the Primary Care Knowledge Boost (PCKB) to produce topical podcasts, designed to support your work in general practice.

This latest podcast focuses on the new Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) Quality Improvement (QI) Workforce Wellbeing Module and how the PCB can support your practice.

Also, case studies from GP Dr Uma Marthi on ‘Red flags for gynaecological cancers’, can be found under the resources section of the GMPCB website.

These count towards your Continued Professional Development (CPD).

GM Health and Care Digital Transformation Strategy

The Greater Manchester Health and Care Digital Transformation Strategy was discussed at the PCB’s June meeting, with an agreement to share the document wider; with each of the four primary care boards.

The strategy is currently going through an engagement process with key stakeholders and feedback on how it impacts on primary care, should be submitted to: gmdigital@healthinnovationmanchester.com

Campaigns supporting primary care

A new campaign has been launched to raise awareness of the new roles supported through ARRS (Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme) that now form part of many general practice teams.

The ‘Who’s who at your GP practice’ campaign has been produced by NHS Greater Manchester, in partnership with GMPCB, and aims to improve understanding of these roles, highlighting the benefits to patients.

You may have also seen the summer refresh of the ‘Get to know where to go’ campaign, also produced by NHS GM.

If you have public-facing social media channels, please use these resources.

Survey on streamlining communications to primary care – deadline extended

We are working with NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care on reviewing and streamlining communications to primary care colleagues.

Please complete the survey which has been extended to Friday 14 July.

Launching soon

The PCB is involved in a number of new resources and programmes that we will be announcing very soon. Please continue to check our website and social channels for news about the new primary care sit-rep tool, a PCN leadership programme and proactive care programme.

We have commissioned Health Integration Partners (HIP) to deliver a new Locality GP Board Development Programme for each of the 10 place-based GP or Primary Care Boards and the GM GP Board. Diagnostic calls are currently underway with GP Board chairs, in order to scope out and plan bespoke training for each locality to be undertaken throughout the year.

PDF version of issue 2 of the Provider Update

Download a PDF version of issue 2 of the PCB Provider Update.

Welcome

Welcome to the first of our regular updates from Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board (PCB) – to all our primary care providers across dentistry, pharmacy, general practice and optometry.

I must begin by saying that my role as chair of the PCB is coming to an end soon and we’ll have an update on new PCB leadership and membership later in the summer.

For now, it’s business as usual and it’s been a very busy year so far! We hope that you are familiar with the work and role of the PCB, but also appreciate it can be difficult to keep up with everything in the primary care provider system and the wider integrated care system.

As a result, we have developed three clear ways of communicating the work of the PCB to you and we hope you will find them useful.

Our website is a great source of information, training offers and support and we endeavour to keep this updated regularly. I would encourage you to have a look at the handy infographic and animation, which help to explain what we do and what the PCB means to you as a provider.

As well as the website, we have a number of active social media channels – including Twitter and LinkedIn – so if you haven’t already, please give us a follow!

Finally, we have collated some of the more recent PCB activity in the following briefing which we will update and send to you each month.

I hope you enjoy reading this update and if you have any comments or suggestions, please let us know by emailing: info.gmpcb@nhs.net

Thank you,

Dharmesh Patel
Chair, Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board
Twitter: @DharmeshP108

PCB News

Primary Care Blueprint Engagement Draft

Providers across primary care are encouraged to read and submit feedback on the Primary Care Blueprint Engagement Draft by Friday 30 June.

As well as feedback from individuals, each provider board has been asked to contribute to a PCB collective response by Wednesday 28 June so it can be collated and submitted by the deadline of Friday 30 June.

Changes in PCB membership

Plans are underway to appoint a new chair and vice-chair to the PCB.

The post-holders will represent and support the four areas of primary care – dentistry, general practice, pharmacy and optometry – providing a unified voice within Greater Manchester.

Annual review

Our annual review for 2022/23 is now available and highlights a range of PCB achievements, successes and key developments across primary care.

The document has been shared with key stakeholders.

PCN development day

The first day of the Primary Care Network (PCN) development programme got off to a flying start with a range of inspiring workshops and talks from regional experts and involving colleagues from PCNs across Greater Manchester.

Details about the next session on Thursday 14 September will be available on our website soon.

Digital First update

Since its launch in 2021, the Digital First Primary Care programme has adopted a three-phase approach: understand, reimagine and implement. The programme is currently in implementation phase and has noted some key highlights during 2022/23.

We’ll update you further in the coming weeks.

Good Employment Week

Greater Manchester’s first Good Employment Week is due to take place between 19-24 June and colleagues from all sectors across the city region are being asked to get involved by completing a survey, holding events and supporting on social media.

You can read about Hawkley Brook Medical Practice, which was the first health and care organisation to achieve member status of the Good Employment Charter in March.

Health and wellbeing

Have you checked out the latest podcasts on our health and wellbeing pages?

‘How chaplains are helping to reduce the burden in general practice’ and ‘Strength in numbers – managers working together in primary care’ are now available.

Message and survey on streamlining communications to primary care

We are working with NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care on reviewing and streamlining communications to primary care colleagues.

Please take a few minutes to read a message from Tracey Vell, Chief Officer of the PCB and Rob Bellingham, Director of Primary Care and Strategic Commissioning for NHS GM Integrated Care and complete this short survey by Friday 30 June.

PDF version of issue 1 of the Provider Update

Download a PDF version of issue 1 of the PCB Provider Update.