Working towards integrated primary care in north east London

We provided North East London Integrated Care Board with the evidence it needed to invest multi-year funding in a same-day urgent primary care service for north east London that meets the requirements of the Fuller stocktake report.

In six months from April to October 2023, our team:

• developed the full business case for investment in same-day primary care access including service design principles
• developed the service specification and undertook a compliant procurement approach
• achieved widespread clinical consensus and support, and the backing of the ICB’s assurance processes
• helped secure Board agreement to allocate around £22million over three years to increase urgent primary care capacity in the evenings and at weekends
• supported the system and enabled the ambitious go-live date of 1 October 2023, ensuring service delivery and continuity of care.

• An extra 224,657 primary care appointments a year will be available in the evenings, at weekends and over bank holidays.
• This will help residents get convenient same-day care when they need it.
• It will also help reduce the pressure on key urgent services such as A&E, 111 and Urgent Treatment Centres.
• The process strengthened the commitment of general practices in north east London to working together, which has benefits for patients.

Brent liver cancer scanning pilot

We supported two primary care networks in Brent, north west London, to set up the infrastructure they needed for a 12-month NHS England liver cancer case-finding pilot. 

We provided Harness North and Harness South Primary Care Networks with programme management office expertise, helped them to develop governance structures, and supported them to strengthen their partnership with secondary care and NHS England.

The first community fibroscan clinic – a service Harness Care has contracted from secondary care – took place on 21 February 2024. Twice weekly clinics will continue until September 2024. The aim is to test over 1,500 patients.

• This proactive approach is helping to make a real difference to the lives of people at higher risk of liver cancer in Brent.
• By reporting outcomes to the NHS England Liver Scanning pilot, it also paves the way for further strategies to combat liver cancer.