The four GP practices at the Govan Health Centre are transforming their services by focusing on new and innovative care models for patients.
Running as a three year trial, the Govan Integrated Care Project has been conceived in response to the additional demands, changes in population, increases in the prevalence of long term health conditions and the impact of deprivation.
These factors have all contributed to a determination by the four practices to reconfigure the way they work and manage demand on their services.
The new integrated care approach is based around 10 key objectives:
- Person centred
- Primary care
- Reducing unscheduled care
- Integrated care
- Multi-morbidity
- Early years
- Health inequalities
- Health improvement
- Establishing innovative models of good practice
- Efficiency and productivity
John Montgomery, project lead, said: “Around 10 years ago we realised we had to reconfigure the way we deliver primary care to our patients.
“The more we looked at it, the more apparent it became that this could lead to benefits for not only patients, but also elsewhere in the health system and social care.
“We have developed a model where we identify patients who frequently attend one of the practices or hospital emergency departments and now tailor a healthcare package to best meet their needs.
“Increased appointment times are scheduled for patients identified as having long term illnesses and multi morbidities. This allows us to have a fuller understanding of health and social challenges they face. As a result, we now provide unconditional personalised continuity of care whatever combination of problems patients may have.
“By working to anticipate patients’ health and social care requirements we’re aiming to cut the use of emergency services and unscheduled care. There is now the capacity to offer emergency GP slots rather than have people present to hospital emergency departments.
“Our focus on integrating care is designed to derive extra value through more joined up management. We are better employing existing health, social care, and community resources and services to deliver a measurable return on investment.
“Multi-disciplinary teams have been established with a core membership of health, social work and third sector staff.
“There are distinct social workers – one for children and families, and one for adults – along with district nurses, health visitors and other practice and primary care based staff.”