RCGP comment on neighbourhood health framework

Professor Victoria Tzortziou Brown, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, said:  

“This neighbourhood health framework has been long-awaited and provides some further clarity on the Government’s direction. The RCGP has consistently supported the ambition to deliver more care in communities, but many details still need to be worked through to ensure neighbourhood working is safe, sustainable and effective in practice.

“GPs must be central to both national and local discussions on how neighbourhood services are developed, and the model must remain firmly patient-centred. Neighbourhood working must strengthen, not weaken, continuity of care and patients’ ability to see their GP close to home.

“The framework also sets out a range of national targets and outcomes. It will be important that these are developed transparently and co-designed with clinicians and patients, so they are meaningful, measurable and reflect what really improves care and outcomes.

“The framework highlights the scale of expectations placed on general practice, which is already delivering very high volumes of care relative to its share of NHS resources, so these plans must be matched with sustained investment in the GP workforce and premises. Clear governance and contracting arrangements will also be needed so that accountability is understood across neighbourhood services, and so that implementation reduces rather than adds to complexity, duplication and inefficiency across the wider system.”

Further information

RCGP press office: 0203 188 7659
press@rcgp.org.uk

Notes to editors

The Royal College of General Practitioners is a network of more than 54,000 family doctors working to improve care for patients. We work to encourage and maintain the highest standards of general medical practice and act as the voice of GPs on education, training, research and clinical standards.