We have four key offers to help build your capability to progress change and improvement locally.

• Introducing quality improvement – short duration programmes*
• Leading quality improvement – longer set programmes*
• Topic-based sessions – shorter modular sessions
• Primary care improvement community

* Priority for these participant programmes is given to primary care networks (PCNs) and practices engaged in the Access Improvement programme, delivered by the Primary Care Transformation team. Remaining places will be made available to applicants from NHS primary care organisations (networks and practices) held on a waiting list.

Topic based sessions such as the current national and regional demand and capacity webinar series are open to all.

The primary care improvement community, a 9,000 member strong network, with a wealth of resources, case studies and discussion threads is also open to all.

Examples of the flexible short-set offers

What is quality improvement?

A two-hour learning session facilitated virtually that provides an introduction to making changes using quality improvement approaches, for those in general practice who have no prior knowledge or experience of quality improvement. It will introduce practical approaches to making changes; how to speed up getting things done and helping them to stick.

Participants will be given a basic overview of the key components of successful change, with an introduction to the Change model for health and care and how quality improvement techniques can be used to make changes locally.

Fundamentals of change and improvement

Currently facilitated virtually but soon to also be available in-person. A programme typically over two full days or three shorter days, for those working in general practice, including GPs, practice managers, nurses, senior admin and project managers.

It will show step-by-step how to use a number of tools and techniques, helping to build skills and confidence to make changes in your practice. Participants bring a live problem to work on, which should be relatively small and focussed, to apply the learning directly, for example, improving care navigation or active signposting processes.

General Practice Improvement Leads programme

The General Practice Improvement Leads programme is an accredited personal development programme for those working in general practice, including GPs, practice managers, nurses and other members of the multidisciplinary teams (MDT), reception managers and senior administrators. Participants gain new perspectives, skills and confidence in using improvement science for service redesign and leading colleagues and teams through change.

The programme is six days (three x two-day modules) with support sessions and an optional coaching call, all held virtually. The programme incorporates interactive elements, action learning and personal project work, with participants taking forward a change priority in their own practice, for example, improving document workflow, optimising the triage process, increasing the uptake of online consultations. Participants learn alongside others in general practice, with the additional benefit of sharing experiences and learning from each other.

You can learn about what impact the programme has made by viewing case studies from past participants.

Primary Care Network (PCN) Improvement Leads programme

This programme is for those with lead roles in PCNs, such as Clinical Directors, GPs, nurses, practice managers and PCN managers, to help achieve large scale change across their networks.  The programme is designed to:

• equip participants with transferable practical improvement skills for working at scale, to help achieve improvement goals in a complex environment
• support participants to understand the key principles for large scale change and how to apply these to their network’s challenge, helping create transformational change.

The approach and focus are on PCN-wide challenges and opportunities Participants must bring an improvement challenge/priority to work on, for example, optimising the use of new roles across the PCN or improving access to diabetic care for the PCN’s hard to reach population, presenting their progress and learning at the end of the programme.

The programme comprises six full days (three two-day modules) with support sessions.

Applicants must have a working knowledge of the Model for Improvement and measurement for improvement prior to joining the programme, which can be gained from other elements of the wider capability building offer, such as What is Quality Improvement or Fundamentals of Change and Improvement.

Topic based modules

These are shorter modular online sessions of up to 90 minutes each, focusing on specific improvement topics and approaches. They are designed to enable those working at practice and PCN level to explore specific topics such as Demand and Capacity and Workforce Redesign, to help tackle local challenges and opportunities.

For more information contact the Primary Care Transformation team.

National primary care improvement community

Our primary care improvement community has over 9,000 members and growing. It is a virtual community for all who work in and around general practice and primary care across England, and are involved in facilitating innovation, improvement and transformation. This spreads good ideas more quickly, helping to accelerate local change and support change leaders in sustaining progress and their own resilience.

Connect with peers addressing the same challenges as you, hear how they overcame barriers and draw on evidence based tools and resources, that will maximise your chances of delivering your local change and improvement goals.

To join the community please contact the Primary Care Transformation team.