What can we expect to see in primary care in the NHS given recent policy announcements and ongoing uncertainty? What does the new GP Contract tell us about the future of primary care? What are the biggest challenges facing primary care in 2024–25?
In this webinar, Karen Cooper (Senior Consultant – NHS Insight & Interaction, Mtech Access) spoke to a panel of NHS Associates about the current state and future of primary care and what this means for industry. Our panellists were:
- Jack Wagstaff (Place Leader, Surrey Heartlands Health and Care Partnership, Chief Officer for North West Surrey Health and Care Alliance)
- Zafran Azam (Head of Medicines Optimisation and Delivery, Derby City Place)
- Dr Neil Forster (GP and PCN Clinical Director, Northumberland Medical Alliance)
Although much uncertainty remains (not least with the election approaching), there have been recent announcements indicating what we may expect for primary care in the NHS. The 2024–25 GP Contract, along with details of QOF and PCN DES, was published recently, set out over 11 documents. The funded targets set out here are key for Pharma and Medtech market access strategies, as they drive GP practices and their prescribing. The NHS Operational Planning Guidance was also published at the end of March, right before the start of the new financial year.
At this crucial juncture, we sat down with panellists from across primary care to explore:
- Where NHS primary care is heading and what this means for your strategy and business planning
- Prescribing and decision-making in primary care
- The implications of the GP Contract for PCNs, GPs, patients, and industry
- What this means for integration and the integrated care model
- Policy priorities in practice and what to expect in an election year
- How Pharma, Medtech, and Diagnostics companies can best engage with primary care leaders
Listen to the podcast:
This episode is also available as a podcast. Listen below or search ‘Pharma Market Access Insights – from Mtech Access’ on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts.
About our speakers
Jack Wagstaff (Place leader and integrated care perspective)
Jack is the Place Leader for Surrey Heartlands Partnership and Chief Officer of the North West Surrey Alliance; a partnership of NHS, local government, and voluntary sector organisations. The Alliance is one of the largest in the UK, overseeing a health economy of £0.5bn and employing over 10,000 people across partners. Jack is also an Executive Officer for Surrey Heartlands ICS. Over the course of his career, Jack has managed medicine and emergency care services in hospitals, worked with the Department of Health on national strategy and has been a commissioning Managing Director.
Zafran Azam (Pharmacy and medicines optimisation perspective)
Zafran is Head of Medicines Optimisation and Delivery at Derby City Place, leading a team of pharmacists and technicians working with 31 GP practices. He has extensive experience in pharmacy, mainly in primary care but also in secondary care. He was also extensively involved in the set up and roll out of the COVID vaccination programme in his area. Zafran is the Right Care Respiratory Lead for Medicines Management. He is also the Programme Lead for the Science Technology Advisory Committee.
Dr Neil Forster – (GP and PCN lead perspective)
Neil has over 20 years’ experience as a GP and is currently Clinical Director at Northumberland Medical Alliance (NMA). NMA is a federation of practices in North Northumberland serving 80,000 patients. He has a specialist interest in occupational medicine.
This webinar forms part of our monthly NHS Whispers series, in which we have in-depth, comprehensive conversations with senior colleagues from the NHS. We explore what their immediate priorities are, what they see as the greatest challenges currently faced by the NHS, and how the NHS might respond to these challenges.
Recent webinars in the NHS Whispers series, now available on-demand, include:
- February 2024: ‘How does funding flow in NHSE Regions?’ with guest speaker, Richard Smale (Interim Director of System Co-ordination, NHS England – South West)
- January 2024: ‘NHS policy for 2024/25: strategy and engagement in a world of uncertainty’, a panel discussion featuring leaders from across the NHS
- December 2023: ‘Specialised commissioning in the NHS – how to plan for 2024’ with guest speaker Malcolm Qualie, former Medicines Lead for Specialised Services, NHS England
- November 2023: ‘Integrated care in NHS Wales – what can England learn from its neighbour?’ with guest speaker, Paul Mears, CEO, Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
- October 2023: ‘Unmet need in NHS primary care – how can industry best support PCN leaders?’ with guest speaker, Dr Farzana Hussain, GP Principal, The Project Surgery
- September 2023: ‘Population health management: a community effort across health and life sciences’ with guest speaker, Dr Mark Davies, Global Chief Health Officer, IBM
- April 2023: ‘Primary Care and ICBs – what is the next step in the integration journey?’ with guest speaker, Tim Goodson, Executive Officer, Dorset General Practice Alliance
