Area Clinical Forum Committee Report to Grampian NHS Board
Committee Meeting on 11 November 2015
- Evaluation and Awareness of new ways of working in Primary Care
The committee noted the radically different approach to the delivery of health care at the New Dyce Medical Practice with significantly increased utilisation of advanced nurse practitioners, physician associates, pharmacists and other health professionals and that to date, this has generated considerable enthusiasm from those involved. ACF members have highlighted theneed for formal evaluation of the practice, including the patient perspective and the impact on the wider healthcare system. A specific concern raised was whether increasing the number of advanced nurse practitioners working in primary care potentially creates a shortage elsewhere.
In general, all professional groups at the ACF report enthusiasm for innovative practice in primary care, however, general practitioners and others expressed the view that they have limited knowledge of the potential role of other health professionals in primary care, such as allied health professionals and applied psychologists. The ACF is keen to promote and develop understanding of innovative models of multi-professional working in primary care which could be developed in Grampian and/or are utilised elsewhere, and to work in partnership with other groups to promote awareness of this potential.
- Referral pathways from primary to secondary care
Work is ongoing across the advisory committees to articulate a multi-professional model of good practice for referrals from primary to secondary care. This has already highlighted that where care pathways have been developed, potential referrers are often unfamiliar with these, and/or guidance on pathways is not readily accessible on the Clinical Guidance Intranet. This is a matter of some concern to the ACF. The committee has formed a subgroup of members to develop our understanding of this and how it can be addressed.
3. Clinical Services Strategy
The ACF recognises the need for extensive involvement of clinicians of all professions in the development of the clinical services strategy and notes the need for this to be informed by valid and reliable data documenting current practice and performance in Grampian and comparison with other Boards. As such, members welcome the information available through the national NSS Discovery information system. A number of individual advisory committees will be discussing and promoting the use of this tool amongst clinicians over the coming weeks and hope to use this to inform debate about clinical strategy and priorities.
- Director of Public Health Annual Report
The ACF welcomes the highly informative Director of Public Health Annual Report which will be further disseminated and discussed through the professional advisory committees.
Helen Moffat
Chair Area Clinical Forum
November2015
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