Primary care

The strategy outlines the five-year vision.

• People using primary care will experience a consistent service.
• Multidisciplinary teams will have the time and space to serve patients well, responding to what matters most to them.
• Primary care services will be local, well organised and comprehensive.
• People will be able to access care when they need it through face-to-face or online consultations, with easy access to self-care advice.
• Primary care workforce will have access to training and development, with the emphasis on a healthy, positive primary care workforce.
• Patients with a long-term condition will have an individual care plan based on their health needs.

The strategy will support primary care over the next five years to deliver improvements across key areas.

Access to general practice includes:

• the range of clinical and support roles, and services available 
• opening times and out-of-hours support 
• the location of practices together with size and quality of buildings 
• appointment booking processes 
• telephone systems 
• online tools for advice and appointment booking.

NHS Kent and Medway is committed to working with practices to improve access. The aims are to:

• make sure practices have robust systems and websites that help patients use online consultations as well as providing information
• work with partners to make sure those who find accessing GP services more difficult are not disadvantaged, and that the required support is available to practices to help them support any such groups
• provide more care through community pharmacy to manage the demand on general practice
• provide consistent access to appointments/advice using new technology
• continue to support the development of multi-disciplinary teams, reducing the reliance on GPs and making sure people get to see the right clinician at the right time. 

Having fit for purpose general practice premises that meet the needs of the workforce and patients is critical.

The Estates and Infrastructure Strategy summary 2024 [pdf] 2MB sets out how the ICB and its partners continue to address challenges in estates and infrastructure so clinical teams can continue to deliver high quality care in buildings that are fit-for-purpose, sustainable and both cost and energy efficient.

The ICB will continue to work closely with general practices, PCNs and the Kent Local Medical Committee on estate proposals, plans and changes.

NHS Kent and Medway has a responsibility to make sure all general practices have sustainable IT support. 

Improved use of technology has the potential to extend the range of care general practice can offer and make accessing care more convenient. For the general practice workforce, better technology will help manage pressures and enable them to provide better services to patients.  

Digital tools, such as eConsult, are now a fundamental part of patient access to services and improved resilience of practices through online and video consultation.

While recognising the opportunities that technology offers, the ICB recognises the issues of digital exclusion and is working to make sure greater use of technology in general practice does not become a barrier for some patients.

The ICB is committed to supporting general practice to use technology to improve the quality and accessibility of its service.

A growing and ageing population with increasingly complex health conditions needs a general practice workforce with the numbers and the breadth of skills to help people access the healthcare they need.

Primary care is the front door to many other health services, so sufficient capacity and capability in general practice is key to people getting timely access to the rest of the NHS. 

The ICB continues to support general practice by:

• developing initiatives that encourage people to want to live and work in Kent and Medway, especially in areas with higher deprivation
• researching and developing innovative and creative ways to recruit, train and retain additional GPs, nurses and other healthcare professionals
• promoting and explaining the benefits of new roles in general practice to improve patients' confidence and understanding of a multi-disciplinary workforce.

The ICB supports quality and safety in general practice through a dedicated team working in partnership with practices and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as the clinical regulators of general practice. 

The ICB:

• is committed to supporting practices to deliver on patient experience and patient safety
• continues to offer a supportive package to practices and primary care networks, promoting best practice sharing and learning.