Long Term Conditions, National Primary Care Collaborative

The National Primary Care Collaborative (the first of UK Improvement Foundation programs) was launched in June 2000. It is currently the world’s largest health improvement program covering over 5,000 practices and almost 32 million patients. It has produced quick results, including dramatic reductions in waiting times and improvements in patient care. The collaborative has been rolled out in three phases

National Primary Care Collaborative – Phase I

Phase I focused on:

• improving access to primary care (Advanced Access)
• secondary prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD)
• the commissioning of secondary care services
  
  

National Primary Care Collaborative – Phase II

Phase II focused on spreading the Advanced Access model and CHD via 11 regional centres which provide local support for every PCT (Primary Care Trust) in England. For the Improvement Foundation, the ability to spread evidence-based improvements in this way is the key to making the changes sustainable and owned by the front-line teams who must use them.

National Primary Care Collaborative – Phase III

Phase III focuses improving care for long-term conditions, particularly for those people with diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It aims to support front-line clinicians and PCT managers in using skills and techniques to deliver significant improvements in long-term conditions. The specific focus has been on management of diabetes and COPD, although much of the learning can be transposed to other chronic diseases. Key elements of this program are:

• patient and carer participation
• strong emphasis on self-care
• development of robust integrated pathways between primary and secondary care
• development of case management at practice level
• desire to reduce unplanned hospital admissions and subsequent length of inpatient stay

 

For more information see Long Term Conditions