The support level framework (SLF) is a tool to support practices and primary care networks (PCNs) to understand their development needs and where they are on their journey to embedding modern general practice. There is no “1 size fits all” approach to improvement so the SLF allows practices and PCNs to understand what they do well and where there might be opportunities for improvement.​ The SLF has been co-produced with general practice teams and clinically developed based on professional knowledge, experience, academic research and documented best practice where available.

There are 2 versions of the SLF, 1 for practices and 1 for PCNs. The Practice SLF should be completed via a facilitated conversation with members of the practice team, which encourages honest reflections.​ The outputs should then be used alongside practice data to agree priorities for improvement and to develop an action plan.​ The outputs of the SLF and action plan are owned locally by the practice. The SLF is not a performance management tool.​

The PCN SLF follows a similar format to the practice version, with questions that are more specific to PCNs. It should also involve facilitated conversations with PCN teams.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) have been asked to enable facilitated SLF conversations to take place in all practices, to help practices to better understand their support needs and to identify their own improvement priorities. This can help ICBs provide the right type of ongoing support to practices.

The Practice and PCN support level frameworks can be accessed online.