Case studies
The case studies here demonstrate some positive examples of the NHS delivering improved high quality care in a number of different settings across the country.
They provide some context and background to the challenges being faced by the NHS and the solutions developed to ensure better, cost effective outcomes for patients and the public.
2022
- Building a team with the skills to boost primary care in West Leeds Primary Care Network
- GP teams work together with members of health inequality groups to expand their COVID-19 vaccine equity project
- How new ways of working in primary care are boosting patient experiences in York
2021
- General practice and the local community tackling climate change together
- Moving towards a greener general practice
- Group consultations: Together, patients are stronger
- Sheffield based GPs join forces to reach vulnerable patients during pandemic
- GPs in Haringey join forces with health and care services to support local homeless population
- Primary Care Network: Rapid planning and testing to deliver a COVID vaccine programme across a PCN – Britley Oxford Terrace PCN, Yorkshire and Humber
- Primary Care Network: Pulse oximetry supporting general practice
2020
- More choice for patients, less pressure for staff – Thornfield Medical Group, North East and Yorkshire
- Primary Care Network: ‘Drive thru’ services offering a safe alternative to immunisation clinics
- A more streamlined process for managing a care home – The Vicarage Lane Surgery, London
- A more flexible approach to managing patient demand and future peaks in pressure – The Orchard Practice, South East
- Simple changes maximise use of appointments and increase efficiency – Dunstan Village Group Practice, North West
- Online appointments increase by 100%: Hazeldene Medical Centre, London
- Primary Care Network: Bootle PCN partners ‘buddy up’ to support patient safety
- Implementing weekly ‘care rounds’ in care homes – Barrow and Millom Primary Care Network, North West
2019
- Primary care networks: Supporting the homeless population to access primary care in Berkshire
- Using quality improvement in a Primary Care Network – Newham Central 1
- Less stress and a smoother patient consultation – Churchill Medical Centre, London
- From small to large scale change across Doncaster – Primary Care Doncaster, North East and Yorkshire
- Redesigning primary care at scale across Hereford – Taurus Healthcare, Midlands
- “We’ve achieved efficiencies far more effectively working as a cluster than we would have as individual practice teams” – Chester East, North West
- 78% reduction in correspondence going to GPs – Northgate Medical Centre, North West
- Delivering partnership working in West Cheshire – The Rural Alliance, North West
- South Coast Medical Group Primary Care Network: Supporting the demand on primary care
- Wokingham Primary Care Networks: The 5 I’s
- Suffolk Coast and Country Primary Care Collaboration
- Routine GP appointment waiting times reduced by 47% – Pickering Medical Practice, North
- 600 GP hours released a year after reducing inappropriate appointments – Chiswick Health Practice, London
- Working collaboratively to develop more efficient processes – Newham CCG, London
- Releasing two GP sessions a week for more appropriate appointments – Seven Dials Medical Practice, South East
- Redesigning the annual patient review process across two practices – Robin Lane Medical Centre and Manor Park Surgery, Yorkshire and Humber
- Over 19 GP hours released a week – Forum Family Practice, Cramlington, Northumberland, North East and Yorkshire
- Supporting practices across an STP footprint to strengthen active signposting – East Leicestershire and Rutland CCG, Leicester City CCG and West Leicestershire CCG, Midlands
- Dispensary and admin/reception teams work together to release 55 hours per week – The Leith Hill Practice, Surrey – South East
- Increasing referrals to the National Diabetes Prevention Programme – The Scott Practice, North East and Yorkshire
- Social prescribing: reducing non-medical GP appointments and delivering a better service for patients – Brownlow Health @ Princes Park Health Centre, North West
- 168 GP appointments released a month after redesigning repeat prescription and medication review processes – Trent Meadows Medical Practice – Midlands
- Managing high demands for GP appointments – Walnut Tree Health Centre, East of England
- A step closer towards improving local services – Warrington CCG, North West
Lessons learnt from Prime Minister’s Challenge Fund – wave one pilots
In October 2013, the Prime Minister announced a £50 million Challenge Fund to help improve access to general practice. The Challenge Fund is designed to test innovative ways of providing primary care services. Of the 254 expressions of interest received for the Challenge Fund, 20 pilot sites were selected across the country; covering 1,100 general practices and 7.5 million patients.
The papers below are series of ‘innovation showcases’ designed to highlight the successes of the 20 pilots.
Innovation showcase series
Pace of implementation (showcase one, February 2015) – This paper focuses on pilots which have been effective in implementing extended hours at pace.
Successful patient engagement (showcase three, March 2015) – This paper focuses on pilots which have been effective in engaging their patient population.
Successful practice engagement (showcase four, March 2015) – This paper focuses on pilots who have been effective in engaging practices and their staff.
Very large scale pilots (showcase six, June 2015) – This paper focuses on pilots who are delivering at very large scale, across diverse geographies with multiple CCGs, many practices and with a large patient population.
Effective leadership (showcase seven, July 2015) – This paper focuses on pilots which have demonstrated effective leadership.
Enhanced use of specialist nursing staff to reduce pressure on GPs (showcase eight, December 2015) – This paper focuses on pilots which are making enhanced use of specialist nursing staff.