Note: Some sections of this page refer to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). On 1st July 2022, integrated care systems (ICSs) took over statutory commissioning responsibilities in England, and CCGs were closed down. You can learn more about integrated care systems (ICSs) here.

COVID-19 has seen the most rapid changes to GP services for at least a generation. Demand in primary care is rapidly rising again and our ways of working are under increasing pressure. Practice teams are struggling to manage multiple competing demands in the recovery of services. The volume and complexity of patient needs, from delayed accessing of care, have built and so too other backlogs. To help, the Time for Care team is working with over 700 practices to help reduce waiting times and improve patient satisfaction with booking.

Focus and outcomes from quick coaching interventions, rapid improvement support, collaborative action-focused sessions and capability building

• Support for team and practice recovery.
• Reduce waiting times for patients, ensure they see the right professional or service first time, improving experience and outcomes.
• Understand practice demand, identifying and matching capacity to need.
• Utilise the whole multi-disciplinary team.
• Improve team wellbeing and morale, reduce staff turnover and sickness absence.
• Develop safe and reliable processes for key practice activities, optimising new ways of working adopted during the pandemic including digital solutions.
• Implement evidence-based innovations proven to support reduced waiting and improved access.

Whilst this support is co-ordinated via Regions and local systems, there’s something for all through our

• Improvement capability building offers in flexible formats, tailored for all members of the practice team
• Primary Care Improvement Community, an online network over 9,000 strong with a wealth of practical resources, case studies and active discussions on the challenges and opportunities you’re dealing with.

Time for Care – who are we and how have we supported general practice teams and Primary Care Networks?

The team has delivered improvement support over the past decade from the authorisation and development of CCGs, the Prime Minister’s Challenge Fund and as part of the General Practice Forward View.

Our Primary Care Improvement Faculty is a mix of working clinicians, members of the wider general practice team and improvement experts. This peer-to-peer understanding of your issues is key to good engagement and accelerating improvement.

We’ve worked with nearly all CCGs and well over half of practices across England, supporting them to progress their local improvement priorities.

In recent years practices have saved over 1 million hours of clinical and admin time using our support.

Over 650 individuals have completed our accredited General Practice Improvement Leads programme.

We’ve equipped 200 early career GPs and over 200 practice nurses with the skills and confidence to take forward improvement locally.

For more information and to access support

Email england.si-pcic@nhs.net and a member of our team will respond.