How widespread has the primary care home model become?
A new model of integrated primary care promoted by an association of GPs has expanded to cover more than 200 sites in England providing care for a total of 8m patients.
Developed by the National Association of Primary Care (NAPC), primary care home is a team-based model in which a range of health and social care professionals from primary, secondary, and social care provide care close to patients’ homes.
The teams, which often include GPs, community services, pharmacists, voluntary organisations and social care on the same site, each provide care to a population of 30,000 to 50,000 patients.
A Nuffield Trust think-tank evaluation of 13 pilots concluded there were promising signs, but said more time was needed to quantify the impact on patient outcomes, patient experience, and the use of wider health services.
Successful primary care home projects are said to include Thanet Health Care in Kent, where a GP acute response team keeps patients out of hospital, and the Beacon Medical Group in Plymouth, which has cut waiting for appointments by boosting its GP-led urgent care team.
Further information
BMJ: New primary care model expands to 200 sites across England
NHS England: Primary care home model
Website: NAPC