ACC_14AchievingAccess and Flexibility
Named GP for Each Focus Patient
Summary
Assign a GP to patients with complex needs to improve continuity of care. Where possible, care should be co-ordinated and delivered by that GP.
Supporting information
Continuity of care particularly benefits Focus Patients, who may have experienced trauma or have complex conditions or mistrust of services. A named GP builds the therapeutic relationships essential for effective care.
Approaches to implementation:
- Systematically identify Focus Patients who would most benefit from continuity
- Where possible, match patients with GPs based on skills, previous involved and rapport
- Establish access and booking systems to facilitate named GPs to see their allocated patients
- Create buddy arrangements for urgent issues when named GP unavailable
- Monitor continuity rates as a quality indicator for Focus Patient care
Key benefits: Builds trust with patients who have experienced discrimination or trauma, improves outcomes through relationship-based care, and reduces emergency presentations by providing consistent preventive care.
Resources
- RCGP Continuity of Care Resource
- Delivering relational continuity of care in UK general practice: a scoping review
Links open on other organisations' websites.