The PCMHTP has eight work streams, with a ninth virtual work stream around the potential for future joined-up approaches with NHS24. Each has responsibility for developing and delivering a quantified action plan. Here’s a snapshot of what they’re working on.

• General Practice and Community Redesign is exploring new ways of working, new models of care and how a multi-disciplinary team approach will improve access through deploying advanced nurse practitioners (ANPs), physiotherapists and pharmacists.
• Urgent Care is looking at further developing urgent out-of-hours (OOH) care by including ANPs, mental health and paediatric nursing staff working in an OOH hub and undertaking home visits.
• Mental Health is testing out new ways to support general practice with patients who suffer from mental health illness. For example, training staff in community pharmacies as mental health champions and developing mental health link workers in community settings.
• GP Recruitment and Retention is providing support to explore marketing approaches to recruit and retain GPs in Lanarkshire.
• Digital Services is seeking to take electronic/digital-first approach to extend and improve use of information technologies, including testing the use of “surgery pods” to release GP time for complex patients.
• Pharmacists in Practice is working to test out the benefits of including pharmacists within general practice to support the management of patients’ medication needs.
• House of Care is an integrated care planning process that supports people with long-term conditions to get more involved in actively managing their health and determine their care support needs.
• Leadership Programme is promoting the Leadership for Integration programme to build leadership capability and team-based working in the organisation.