By diversifying the roles we have in practice, we can offer a wider range of services and address various health needs comprehensively. Diversifying allows staff to take a more holistic approach to patient care, covering a wider aspect of the patient’s needs including lifestyle. The workforce can be further diversified not only within the additional roles but by looking at the skillset within the roles.

It’s easy for the conception of job roles to become blinkered, so the advice would be to think a little more outside the natural boundaries. Looking towards non-health and care sectors to identify some of the skills and expertise required for the population’s health and care management. There have been cases where Primary Care Networks have recruited from within the banking sector under the Health and Wellbeing Coach additional role to better support financial deprivation within the local population. There is also the use of rotation or subcontracting of roles cross organisationally, such as paramedics working in same-day or home visit services.

Benefits for Practice

• improves access by signposting and generating community-based services
• supports the understanding and engagement of harder to reach population groups – inclusion, equality and diversity
• enables self-help and community engagement
• builds relationships and a sense of a wider, inclusive team with the patient at the centre
• targets population health management
• expands the team to residents and patients for true Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) – rapid access to understand the needs of the patients, from the patients
• heightened patient satisfaction
• forging strong and meaningful relationships with other health professionals to shape Appropriate redistribution of health and care

Benefits for patients

• tailored responses to needs
• building stronger community networks of support and friendship
• tackles loneliness and isolation
• tackles wider determinants of health
• shaping local health, care and wellbeing
• understanding and confidence to manage their own health
• more intuitive and responsive resources to reach out to instead of using the GP as a gateway for all their needs

Case Study: Kent and Medway Digital Champion Network

Summary

The Kent and Medway Digital Champions Network is a Microsoft Teams forum connecting ICB, primary care, and PCNs to improve transparency, awareness, and best practices. The network provides training opportunities, monthly lunch and learns, and weekly updates on digital topics, training, and news. The Kent and Medway ICB promoted the network through GP bulletin news items, primary care teams, and a dedicated website, and set up a Microsoft Teams channel for daily updates on training, news, strategy, policy, and events. Practices are encouraged to nominate staff members as digital champions.

Guidance

This is a strong working example of how ICB can spread digital learning and how practice and PCN staff can connect with colleagues to share knowledge and expand their skills and knowledge.

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