Primary care teams across the region are working hard to deliver improvements that not only make it easier and quicker for patients to get the help they need, but also reduce the pressure on staff.

Listen to primary care colleagues including GPs, practice managers, and community pharmacists explain why they are using new ways of working, how they are introducing them to staff and patients and why they are making a difference.

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Series Three

Our third podcast series explores a range of topics that feature in the 10 year plan for England. Subjects include a discussion around neighbourhood health, a deeper dive into the NHS App, a spotlight on work underway to deliver urgent dental care and an exploration of cardiovascular disease.

Episode four – Improving access to dental care services

The Department of Health and Social Care announced a renewed focus on dental care earlier this year, with a commitment to provide an additional 700k urgent dental care appointments during 2025/26. Associate Postgraduate Dental Dean and Local Dental Network Chair Jason Atkinson chairs a panel of dentists and public health professionals to discuss the work already underway in the North East and Yorkshire region which is providing better patient access to dental services.

Episode three – Cracking down on cardiovascular disease

In the UK there are currently about 7.2 million people diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, which amounts to about 10% of the population.

In this third episode of series three of the Transforming Primary Care podcast, Dr Jonathan Slade, GP and Medical Director for NHS England North East and Yorkshire, leads a discussion around the current focus on cardiovascular disease and the very real opportunities for prevention presented within primary care. The panel includes consultant pharmacist Dr Rani Khatib, National Specialty Advisor for CVD Prevention at NHS England.

Episode two – The NHS App: Behind the front door

The NHS App features prominently in the 10 Year Health Plan for England as a front door to NHS services. In the second episode of the third series of the Transforming Primary Care podcast, a panel of NHS App Ambassadors plus guest speaker Dr Shanker Vijay,  GP and digital transformation lead within the London region, talk about their amazing work advocating for the NHS App, helping people in our communities understand what they can access through this door and helping primary care teams better understand what lies behind it.

Episode one – Neighbourhood working and general practice.

In this first episode of series three of the Transforming Primary Care podcast, recorded in June 2025, Queens Nurse and Churchill Fellow Sarah Monks is joined by panel of GPs and healthcare practitioners to discuss the concept of neighbourhood health including the role of integrated neighbourhood teams. Find out about the community-based work already being delivered in the North East and Yorkshire region and hear about hopes for the future – including that neighbourhood working should feature prominently in the ambitions laid out in the 10 Year Plan for England.

Series Two 

Topics include the multidisciplinary team within primary care and the wider community, how new ways of working are addressing health inequalities, triage techniques, and the benefits of new NHS services within community pharmacy.

Episode six – Managing Long Term Health Conditions within primary care.

Episode five – Greener General Practice.

Episode four – Modern General Practice – Top tips for successful triage.

Episode three – NHS community pharmacy services – what are the benefits for practices and patients and how could they evolve?

Episode two – Addressing Health Inequalities: Do Digital technologies make the difference?

Episode one – Creating the multi-disciplinary team

Series One

Our first podcast series was part of our wider Primary Care Month, where we showcased how, in the past year, teams across our region are making a difference.

Hear GPs, practice managers, programme team colleagues and pharmacists discuss the benefits of online GP registration, Pharmacy First, the NHS App and the modern general practice model for patients, GP practices and the wider NHS.

Episode four – What does Modern General Practice mean?

Episode three – Getting the most out of the NHS App

Episode two – Pharmacy First – reflections on the first 9 months

Episode one – What difference does a national registration service make?