by Alan Quick

NHS England has given the green light to a project formulated by local GPs, which promises to deliver radical improvements to the way healthcare is delivered in Mid Devon, centred on a new Health and Well-being Hub, with sustainability of general practice and integration of services at the forefront.

Richard Ward, practice manager at the Chiddenbrook Surgery in Crediton said that during the last 18 months, six GP practices from Mid Devon have been working together to form a federation called Mid Devon Healthcare.

He explained that under this umbrella, they have been exploring potential solutions to the challenges facing modern day GPs – namely how to meet the changing healthcare needs of the population in the current economic climate.

He added: “The rise in prevalence of obesity, diabetes, alcohol and smoking-related illness and an ageing population are stretching the service in its current format beyond its limit and threatening the future of the NHS.

“The bid, which was submitted in June, outlines a number of proposals, which see integration of primary and secondary care services within the Crediton Health and Well-being Hub whilst core general practice continues to be delivered to rural village populations from smaller, individual GP practices outside Crediton.”

He said that the “hub and spoke” model protects the delivery of primary care by a usual GP in a local surgery whilst allowing integrated specialist services to be delivered “closer to home”, using hospital-based care only when absolutely necessary, adding that this is supported by increased integration with the community and voluntary sector.

He added that the aim of the new system is to keep patients well for longer, acknowledging the old adage that prevention is better than a cure.

Dr Peter Twomey, lead GP from Chiddenbrook surgery, and Dr Jo Harris, lead GP from New Valley Practice, have spearheaded the project which will attract significant financial investment from NHS England’s Primary Care Transformation Fund, subject to the approval of a detailed business plan.

Dr Jo Harris said: “We are delighted that we have been instrumental in bringing financial investment into Mid Devon and even more delighted that we will be in the driving seat to ensure that the investment delivers what the population needs.”.

Dr Peter Twomey said: “This is an opportunity for mid Devon to develop a new approach to the way health and well-being is delivered.

“Increased integration between health, social care and the voluntary and community sectors will improve and extend the range of services that can be offered to the community.

“The new development will safeguard the future of healthcare for the people of mid Devon and at the same time improve the recruitment potential of key personnel.

“The creation of a new health hub will help build resilience and sustainability into the local health and well-being landscape.

“In turn this will help compliment and support the tremendous work already being undertaken across the mid Devon region at this crucial time in the history of the NHS.”

Mr Ward added that the bid is a one-off investment from NHS England.

He said enhanced services provided from the Hub will need to be commissioned by the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and be in line with the Devon Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP).

The New Devon CCG released the following statement with regard to the Crediton Health and Well-being Hub, stating: “We are delighted with the successful bid for the development of a Health and Well-being Hub in Crediton to provide integrated patient care for the patient population served by a federation of practice known as Mid Devon Healthcare (Crediton and surrounding areas).

“CCG representatives now need to meet with representatives of Mid Devon Healthcare to agree the way forward regarding the project and development of the final business case.”

Dr Jo Harris added: “We have worked closely with the New Devon CCG and local stakeholders in our bid process and now we will realise the final details so we can begin the project in earnest. We will have a deadline in 2019 for completion of the project.

“We anticipate that this will bring other benefits to the community such as employment opportunities and some improvements in transport and infrastructure.

“We hope to have more details soon and we will ensure that the community is involved and informed as the project progresses.

“The project is still in the development phase and there will be challenges to overcome but we are optimistic now that we can work with the CCG to develop a business case that satisfies both local stakeholders and NHS England.”