Delivering Quality in Primary Care National Action Plan: implementing the Healthcare Quality Strategy for NHSScotland

4. Implementation

Delivering the vision for Primary Care will involve not only these national-level actions, led by the work of the steering group, but also actions by others such as NHS Boards and independent contractors. A bookend event will be held in early 2011 to take stock on progress on the national actions and those taken by others.

Prime responsibility for delivering the vision locally will rest with NHS Boards. This will be achieved through working closely with independent contractors and others, primarily through Community Health Partnerships ( CHPs). These Partnerships play an integral role in ensuring that effective, high quality and appropriate healthcare is delivered in the heart of the community. They have successfully built relationships between Primary and Secondary Care, local authorities, care groups and drive the integration of health and social care services.

CHPs are the conduit through which primary and community healthcare services are planned and delivered and provide an established mechanism to further develop the active leadership and creativity of Primary Care practitioners, in particular GPs. NHS Boards will be charged with enhancing the leadership role that GPs play within CHPs to ensure that quality services are delivered across the whole spectrum of primary healthcare services.