Links Project Report:developing the connections between general practices and their communities

Feedback from groups - key points

Groups were formed to explore 3 themes:

• Implications for practice teams
• Levers and Motivators
• Developing Links Project - next steps

Implications for practice teams

• Relationships- careful thought needed about practice roles and responsibilities
• Value of being aware of local resources needs to be in team consciousness
• Need for a champion to maintain and update information
• The whole team must be involved
• Need for a link worker
• Not necessary for GP to lead this work
• Receptionists and practice nurses have important role in signposting

• The Links Project should be on practice agendas
• Find ways to share knowledge, use local knowledge of staff

Levers and Motivators

• Collect evidence on benefits for patients
• Comparative data - collect data about rates of signposting between practices
• Incentivise - use the GP contract to introduce ideas about practices connecting in communities and drop other aspects of QOF (use the LES?)
• Collect evidence on practical benefits for practices and communities groups
• Reshaping Care for Older People and the Change Fund

Developing Links Project - next steps?

• Yes, the project should be further developed, there was a lot to learn
• Idea of a links worker should be further explored. This role might be particularly pertinent for deprived areas, though may have less value in more affluent areas
• Primary care will be useful place to extend the Links Project
• Developments in Reshaping Care / Change Fund are consistent and complimentary, important to make connection with this work
• Service design element to future work will be useful
• Any further work should be robustly evaluated
• Any new work should pay attention to the agile processes used in the Links Project and the value of having strong local leadership