Tooling up and gearing up mental health in primary care

This document supports people to improve access and understand the key components of good primary care mental health training and education. It provides: 1.) Workforce training and education framework; 2.) competency checklist; 3.) summary of education and training in London.

Tooling up and gearing up mental health in primary care
London Clinical Networks
August 2016

Read more here.

How safe is primary care?

"Improving patient safety is at the forefront of policy and practice. While considerable progress has been made in understanding the frequency, causes and consequences of error in hospitals, less is known about the safety of primary care."

How safe is primary care? A systematic review
S Singh Panesar et al.
BMJ Qual Saf 2016;25:544-553 doi:10.1136/bmjqs-2015-004178

Read more here.

Developing a Complex Care Case Management Service within Primary Care

"Analysis of the Slough CCG patient population demonstrated that 5% (7,500) of people consume 43% of healthcare resources.  In an attempt to realise cost savings and improve quality of service, efforts were made to target those at higher risk of an emergency admission or A&E attendance."

Slough CCG: Developing a Complex Care Case Management Service within Primary Care
S Saran, A Thompson, R Chana
RightCare
February 2016

Read more here.

PrescQIPP

PrescQIPP (QIPP Prescribing) aims "to help NHS organisations to improve medicines-related care to patients, through the provision of robust, accessible and evidence-based resources. We also provide a platform to share innovation, learning and good practice."

The PrescQIPP website includes a range of resources to support commissioners, including:

• Bulletins and briefings
• Data for benchmarking
• Webkits
• Webinars

Higher Quality Dementia Care

"In a programme of 3 linked studies, we investigated the impact of the QOF [quality and outcomes] dementia review on the quality of care received by those with dementia, focusing particularly on the interface between primary and secondary care."

Higher Quality Dementia Care: Policy & Research Briefing
P Kasteridis, A Mason, M Goddard, R Jacobs, R Santos
Centre for Health Economics
February 2016

Read more here.

The effectiveness of interventions to improve laboratory requesting patterns among primary care physicians

"Interventions such as educational strategies, feedback and changing test order forms may improve the efficient use of laboratory tests in primary care; however, the level of evidence is quite low and the quality is poor." 

The effectiveness of interventions to improve laboratory requesting patterns among primary care physicians: a systematic review

SL Cadogan, John P. Browne1, Colin P. Bradley2 and Mary R. Cahill3
Implementation Science 2015, 10:167  doi:10.1186/s13012-015-0356-4

Read more here.

Routine failures in the process for blood testing and the communication of results to patients in primary care in the UK

"A number of potential failures in testing and communicating results to patients were identified, and some specific ideas for improving existing systems emerged. These included same-day phlebotomy sessions, use of modern technology methods to proactively communicate routine results and targeted training for receptionists handling sensitive data."

Routine failures in the process for blood testing and the communication of results to patients in primary care in the UK: a qualitative exploration of patient and provider perspectives
I Litchfield, L Bentham, A Hill, RJ McManus, R Lilford, S Greenfield
BMJ Quality and Safety 2015;24:681-690 doi:10.1136/bmjqs-2014-003690

Read more here.

The Impact of Primary Care Quality on Inpatient Length of Stay for People with Dementia

"For those who are discharged home or to the community setting, the QOF review may have a small negative influence on length of stay. Such modest effects suggest that the QOF review does not have a major influence on LoS for dementia hospital admissions. However, this does not mean the review is unimportant for patient care: the increasing prevalence of dementia and the constraints on capacity in the acute hospital sector may mean even modest impacts are important financially. "

The Impact of Primary Care Quality on Inpatient Length of Stay for People with Dementia: An Analysis by Discharge Destination
P Kasteridis, M Goddard, R Jacobs, R Santos, A Mason
CHE Research Paper 113
Centre for Health Economics, University of York, UK

July 2015

Read more here. 

Transforming our health care system: Ten priorities for commissioners

"We have identified ten priorities for action. A striking feature of all the priorities is the degree to which they call for change within primary care and the way in which primary care relates to the rest of the system. "

Transforming our health care system: Ten priorities for commissioners
C Naylor et al.
The King's Fund
April 2015

Read more here.

Do practice performance scores predict emergency admissions?

"We tested whether or not better-quality primary care, as assessed by the SMI [serious mental illness] quality indicators measured routinely in the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) in English general practice, is associated with lower rates of emergency hospital admissions for people with SMIs"

Do higher primary care practice performance scores predict lower rates of emergency admissions for persons with serious mental illness? An analysis of secondary panel data 
R Jacobs et al.
Health Services and Delivery Research, (16), April 2015

Read more here.

Bulletin for Clinical Commissioning Groups

The November edition of the Bulletin for CCGs, featuring news, strategic and operational issues has been released. Access it here.

Effect of a national primary care pay for performance scheme on emergency hospital admissions for ambulatory care sensitive conditions

"We found relative reductions in rates of emergency admissions for conditions incentivised under the Quality and Outcomes Framework scheme, particularly for coronary heart disease and stroke."

Effect of a national primary care pay for performance scheme on emergency hospital admissions for ambulatory care sensitive conditions: controlled longitudinal study
MJ Harrison, M Dusheiko, M Sutton, H Gravelle, T Doran, M Roland
BMJ 2014;349:g6423

Read more here.

Next steps towards primary care co-commissioning

"This document aims to provide clarity and transparency around co-commissioning options, providing CCGs and area teams with the information and tools they need to choose and implement the right form of co-commissioning for their local health economy."

Next steps towards primary care co-commissioning

NHS England, NHS Clinical Commissioners

November 2014

Read more here. 

Health leaders' survey 2

"Ahead of the 2015 election, we will be regularly surveying a panel of 100 health and social care leaders for their views on a range of issues, including the state of the NHS and social care system and what they believe should be the priority areas for reform during the next Parliament."

Health leaders' survey two: the state of general practice
Nuffield Trust

Read more here.

Multiple sclerosis: costing statement (NICE)

"This costing statement considers the cost implications of the recommendations made in Multiple sclerosis: management of multiple sclerosis in primary and secondary care"

Costing statement: Multiple sclerosis: management of multiple sclerosis in primary and secondary care
NICE
October 2014

Read more here.

Improving the primary care physicians’ decision making for fibromyalgia in clinical practice

"The use of such a tool during consultation will not only improve the quality of care in general practice but will also increase patients’ and doctors’ satisfaction and improve patients’ self-esteem and well-being." 

Improving the primary care physicians’ decision making for fibromyalgia in clinical practice: development and validation of the Fibromyalgia Detection (FibroDetect®) screening tool
R Baron et al.
Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 2014, 12:128

Read more here.

A knowledge translation tool improved osteoporosis disease management in primary care

"Our multicomponent Op-KT tool significantly increased osteoporosis disease management in three family practices. This study highlights the potential of using decision support tools at the point of care in busy, short-visit practices to facilitate patient self-management."

A knowledge translation tool improved osteoporosis disease management in primary care: an interrupted time series analysis
M Kastner et al.
Implementation Science 2014, 9:109

Read more here.

Bipolar disorder: costing and clinical audit tools

NICE have published an audit tool and costing statement to assist organisations in assessing for and implementing guidance for bipolar disorder assessment and management.

Bipolar disorder: the assessment and management of bipolar disorder in adults, children and young people in primary and secondary care
NICE
September 2014

Access the costing and audit tools here.

User-generated quality standards for youth mental health in primary care

"The development of patient-generated quality standards may offer a more formal method of incorporating the views of service users into quality improvement initiatives. This method can be adapted for generating quality standards applicable to other patient groups."

User-generated quality standards for youth mental health in primary care: a participatory research design using mixed methods
T Graham, D Rose, J Murray, M Ashworth, A Tylee
BMJ Quality and Safety 2014;23:857-866

Read more here.

Improved access to primary care and supply-induced demand

"We examine what supply-induced demand is, distinguishing between demand for services that is stimulated by easier access to new forms of primary care (described as ‘induced demand’) and clinical practice in direct access primary care that stimulates additional use of other services (described as ‘induced utilisation’)."

Meeting need or fuelling demand? improved access to primary care and supply-induced demand 

R Rosen

Nuffield Trust

June 2014

Read more here.