Why increase continuity
How increase continuity
Checking continuity has increased
The Health foundation two year Continuity Programme which started in 2019, is supported by the Royal College of General Practitioners. There are five sites in the UK that are looking at ways to introduce greater continuity of care for their patients. This covers half a million people.
Can continuity be increased?
The emerging answer is: Yes continuity of care can be increased alongside access, and this is in the real life setting of a busy NHS. Continuity of Healthcare Counts
Why increase continuity
See the webinar number one with Professor Sir Denis Peira-Gray from St Leonards GP Practice in Exeter
Continuity of care saves lives, reduces illness, saves time and saves resources. The weight of qualitative evidence and the evidence for the association of continuity of care with improved health is strongly positive and outweighs any disadvantages.
How to increase continuity
See the webinar number two with Jo Knight from South Cumbria.
Practical interventions have been shown to increase continuity whilst maintaining access. An enhanced toolkit is being developed. Messages include tailor your approach to your GP practice, and collect feedback on how you are doing.
Checking continuity has increased
See the webinar number three with Professor Phil Evans from St Leonards GP Practice in Exeter.
Dashboards are being developed that GP practices can use to look at continuity. These can let a practice monitor patients who circulate around different doctors and are at risk. The dashboard also gives feedback on how much continuity is provided and how it compares to other practices. The Usual Provider of Care index (most frequent seen person) and a modified St Leonards Index of Continuity of Care (frequency named person seen) are provided.
RCGP HF Webinars on continuity of healthcare: 1 Why do 2 How do 3 Check done