Implementing a PCN-wide carers support service through effective patient engagement
A new support service has been developed by Dene and Stour Valley (DSV) Primary Care Network, developed in partnership with their Patient Participation Groups (PPGs).
As part of a South Warwickshire-wide initiative to improve patient engagement, SWGP supports the South Warwickshire Patient Engagement group which has been working on pilot projects such as this one to tackle local priorities while developing effective and consistent ways to involve patients in shaping services.
The challenge
Statistics show that over 48% of unpaid carers reported at least one adverse health effect from providing unpaid care [1]. ONS data from 2019 also shows that low mental wellbeing was more common among unpaid carers compared with those not providing unpaid care.
DSV PCN, which brings together Shipston Medical Centre, Meon Vale Medical Centre and Hastings House Medical Centre, wanted to reduce health inequalities by improving support for people with caring responsibilities. This pilot project provided a valuable opportunity to develop a more integrated approach to involving patients and individual practice PPGs in service design, which would help to form the basis of a new patient engagement framework at PCN level.
The approach
The first step was to establish a PCN steering group that combined clinical expertise with input from the PPG chairs, practice managers and PCN manager. This group was tasked with defining the project, agreeing a ‘plan on a page’ and establishing the working groups to inform what the new service needed to include.
Alongside input from practice staff, lived experience from PPG representatives highlighted some of the challenges carers face in accessing support for their own health and wellbeing, as well as knowing what support is available for those they care for. This input enabled the team to develop a systematic approach to identifying and supporting carers.
[1] Based on data collected in 2015, 2017 and 2019. Unpaid care expectancy and health outcomes of unpaid carers, England: April 2024. Office for National Statistics.
Outputs
As a result of this project, the following outputs have been achieved:
- Carer champions (nurses) have been appointed in each practice
- A PCN-wide Carer Framework has been developed to provide continuity across the PCN
- Carers and those they care for have been proactively identified by practices so that suitable support can be offered
- There is a renewed focus on improving and maintaining the integrity of carer lists to help ensure existing and new carers receive appropriate support
- Resources and expertise are being shared across the PCN, helping practices enhance care for patients
- The PCN practices and PPGs have established a strong foundation for future joint working
The learnings have been used to inform the South Warwickshire Patient Engagement Framework which has been shared nationally through the National Association for Patient Participation (NAPP) and across South Warwickshire health and care organisations, with support from SWGP.
The project was highly commended in the NAPP Corkhill Awards 2023.