A complete primary care overhaul is needed to make integrated care a reality, clinicians have claimed in a new report from the National Primary Care Network (NPCN).

Collating the opinions of coalface clinicians and healthcare leaders, the report revealed an urge to turn pharmacy into one of the key providers of community care.

Although the report reveals massive differences in opinion between nurses, dentists, commissioners, pharmacists, GPs and optometrists, Future of Primary Care makes plain that all feel a “revolution” is needed.

Click here to read the full report

Dr Howard Stoate, Chair of Bexley Clinical Commissioning Group said: “Pharmacy has only one future, and that future is clinical services – things you can’t get online. Unless pharmacists change rapidly, there will be no community pharmacy. Pharmacies will go the way of bookshops.”

Steve Foster, Pharmacy Superintendent at Pierremont Pharmacy said: “Everybody is in agreement that things can’t continue as they are. The £20 billion challenge we had a couple of years ago has grown to £30 billion, and will continue unless we do something about it.”

And Hemant Patel, Secretary of the North-East London Local Pharmaceutical Committee said: “Let’s get real. People will focus their attention where there’s money. We need to incentivise the system so that people’s imaginations begin to work properly.”

The report showcases innovative practice, from pharmacists as partners in general practice to ideas on using contracts to help local providers work towards joint goals.

The NPCN is a group of over 500 healthcare professionals from across primary care. The group meets quarterly to discuss a specific, pre-defined topic.

Afterwards, a report is created which is intended as a record of the discussions.

Dr James Kingsland OBE, Chair of the NPCN said: “This meeting tried, and within this report succeeded in creating some new thinking. The future must be built from within existing best practice on the cornerstone of the NHS – primary care. “The strength of the network is in the participants, who are not restrained by the usual rhetoric or jargon that compromises so much clinical enthusiasm.”

Four case study presentations are featured from NHS England, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and other organisations.

Cogora, the integrated media and marketing services company behind publications such as Nursing in Practice and Pulse compiled the report, which is available to view online here

For more information on the NPCN please visit: www.nationalprimarycarenetwork.com or contact us here

Clinical commissioners now have access to a directory of services set up to support their work.

Mapping the market: commissioning support services, is a report carried out by Cogora with the support of NHS England. This was published by the research arm of Cogora, The Commissioning Review.

Thirty in-depth interviews were carried out with the managing directors of the commissioning support units (CSUs) and health leads of independent sector companies such as Atos, Capita and KPMG to obtain a picture of the services available to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs).

Cogora, questioned these leaders about their structures, what services they provide, their views on the current challenges and opportunities as well as their collaborations with other organisations.

This soft intelligence report serves as the second part of a comprehensive directory for CCGs to find the right blend of support services for their commissioning needs.

Editor in chief Victoria Vaughan said: “Clinicians need top class support to be able to deliver their vision of care for their population.

“We believe this will serve as a comprehensive guide to allow clinical leaders navigate the complex commissioning support market and help them make the best decision for patients.”

To read the report in full, click here.