The RCGP will provide a hands-on package of support to practices in England after NHS England awarded it a one-year contract to help achieve the primary care recovery plan.
It will see the college support delivery of the General Practice Improvement Programme (GPIP) to hundreds of GP practices.
The package of support, which is to be delivered over four to six months, will include facilitated in-person sessions and a tailored analysis of practice demand and capacity.
Participating practices will benefit from on-site support from experienced and skilled facilitators as well as group-based learning sessions to facilitate peer to peer learning and sharing of experiences across practices.
RCGP chair Professor Kamila Hawthorne said: ‘GPs and their teams are working under intense pressures to deliver care for their patients, so the College is looking forward to working with practices on the ground to deliver much needed support.’
She added that RCGP was drawing on the experience, learnings and resources gained from its successful primary care development programme to deliver this project.
This would help ‘ensure the expertise of the GP profession is a key part of implementation’, she said.
The NHSE contract agreement began in April and the RCGP is due to begin working with practices from July 2024.
The RCGP said that places for 2024/25 were limited and nominations were being managed via ICBs to increase links to local support.
GPIP was introduced as part of the primary care recovery plan last year and, over two years, aimed to support up to 1,500 practices in implementing the modern general practice model. This includes help in improving access and building capability.
But at least 17 ICBs reported issues with GPIP participation in their autumn updates on recovery plan progress after sign-up opened last July. Many cited barriers, such as GP practices lacking capacity and being unable to commit to weeks of training.
The RCGP said the programme aims to work with practices to implement supportive strategies and realise benefits quickly.
Practices interested in participating in the RCGP programme of support should contact their ICB, or email [email protected] for further information.
