Primary Care Networks

Our main goal is to reduce workload pressures for our practice teams by increasing our PCN clinical role headcount. This will reduce the likelihood of colleagues leaving the PCN due to work pressures and should improve moral and colleague wellbeing throughout the PCN.
Plan – the Idea
Our clinicians across the PCN have provided positive feedback on the effectiveness of the clinical pharmacist role in reducing workload pressures and providing much-needed clinical support. This support is creating a better working environment for our GP’s and practice colleagues. To maximize the ARRS scheme, our ambition is to have one full-time clinical pharmacist per practice, totalling four FTE clinical pharmacists by August 2022. This will ensure a fair distribution of the new roles across the entire PCN.
Do
To improve the ARRS team, recruit for open roles and provide training and development opportunities. Ensure all practice staff understand the roles and how they can help with workload. Additionally, appoint wellbeing champions at each practice to increase awareness and engagement in wellbeing support offers.
Study
The NED PCN Pharmacy Team’s expansion has led to a reduction in GP workload and improved job satisfaction, according to 80% of surveyed staff. Additionally, 90% of staff believe that the decrease in daily medication repeat re-authorizations has allowed for greater focus on patients’ clinical needs.
Act
To maintain staff morale and wellbeing, it is recommended to conduct surveys and annual PCN and practice wellbeing walks. It is important to prioritize colleague wellbeing in all PCN board meetings with support from the PCN Manager. This approach ensures a consistent offering across the PCN wherever possible.

Plan – the idea
Retaining staff is crucial for wellbeing and pastoral support, yet often neglected due to time pressures and lack of skills. The Greater Derby PCN seeks to provide coaching and support through Social Prescribers to promote life-work balance, time management, and general wellbeing, as well as provide support for personal issues. This service is open for self-referral
or referral by a line manager, and will be complemented by group staff wellbeing sessions in an informal café setting.
Do 
To deliver this service, there are several steps that need to be taken. First, social prescribing staff must have the necessary coaching and mentoring skills, and if they don’t, they should receive appropriate training. Second, the service should be advertised to all PCN staff and practices, and uptake should be encouraged for non-judgmental confidential support. Third, venues for the drop-in style café should be considered in existing premises. Fourth, additional hours need to be recruited. Lastly, the demand for this service should be evaluated, and possible routes of expansion, such as a PCN staff walking group or choir, should be explored. These groups could be set up as a satellite of the service but led by its members.
Study 
In June 2023, 200 colleagues participated in the Wellbeing Quest to learn about self-care, 5 ways to wellbeing, and Social Prescribing pastoral services. The session was engaging and useful, and all the social prescribing team have become wellbeing champions. Since the project started in August 2022, with 3 practices, and November 2022 for all practices, the service has had 6 referrals. Practice managers feel that their staff have a designated service for wellbeing, and there is no additional pressure for the social prescribing team due to low numbers of referrals. Greater Derby PCN has prioritized staff wellbeing and has organized fitness challenges, education events, among other ways to promote it.
Act 
The low number of referrals has not negatively affected the social prescribing team, allowing them to continue their work as normal without requiring extra hours or funding. Additionally, the team is growing and the role of the team for patients is becoming more apparent, with a focus on wellbeing moving forward.

The main goal is to improve staff retention in the clinical field. To achieve this, there are several objectives, including promoting staff satisfaction and wellbeing (both physical and mental), holding a wellbeing clinic led by Dr. Afshan, encouraging self-initiatives for wellbeing, establishing a group of Wellbeing Champions from non-clinical teams, and sharing resources from JUCD Wellbeing Team. Lister House has 179 staff across four sites, and although staff turnover has increased in the last year,
overall headcount has also increased. Until now, it has been challenging to address staff wellbeing in a unified manner.
Do 
The goal is to establish a culture of wellbeing in the practice, particularly for reception, administration, and call centre employees who have high turnover rates. A recent staff survey showed that over 50% of responders wanted to be more informed about practice initiatives related to health and wellbeing. To address this, a regular ‘wellbeing clinic’ would be held by GP Partner Iram Afshan where staff can discuss their concerns and receive guidance on resources or self-help. This encourages an open culture where everyone feels heard. The partner would provide feedback on common themes to the practice management team for continuous improvement. There is also a group of wellbeing champions from different teams who will meet regularly to address themes affecting staff and develop training projects for managers and champions to help employees.
The plan is to work with the GPTF to spread and encourage activities that promote wellbeing among healthcare staff.
Study 
It is important to prioritise in-person events to encourage staff interaction and build relationships. Wellbeing is also crucial, and arranging events that promote it can be beneficial. Newsletters can be used as a tool to keep staff updated on the available opportunities and support. Ensuring that all staff are aware of what is already available can help maximize the support offered.
Act 
Retention is impacted by several factors, including travel and lack of affordable housing. The cost of living can also play a role, as can a lack of time for extracurricular activities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, changes in the way we work, such as limited interaction and working in isolated spaces, created additional challenges. A high number of staff leaving and joining during this time has made it difficult for new staff to connect with existing members. Limited participation in social events due to COVID-19 isolation and a lack of engagement from some staff members have also contributed to the problem. To address these issues, it is recommended to continue implementing staff wellbeing initiatives and to reinforce positive behaviours through the in-house ARRS team. Building on connections made at events and informing staff about opportunities going forward can also help, as well as making managers more aware of resources to support staff.

Our goal is to boost staff retention rates and reduce sick days by promoting healthy habits and providing employees and management with the necessary resources to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Plan – the idea
Enhancing Individual Health and Wellbeing to Promote PCN and Practice Culture
Do 
Here are some steps to improve staff wellbeing within the PCN and practice sites:
We will achieve this by:
1. Appointing a PCN lead to oversee the project.
2. Embedding wellbeing champions at each practice site and giving them dedicated time (half a day per week) to coordinate educational and practical sessions for colleagues to attend.
3. Creating staff awareness of possible triggers that may affect them throughout the PCN and practice sites and the support they can access.
4. Investigating the need for a “calm room” or methods for staff to use to mentally declutter.
5. Upskilling selected team members across sites to be trained as Reflective practice practitioners, Mental Health First Aiders, or something similar to offer peer-to-peer support and group reflections as needed.
6. Providing appropriate training for social prescribers to be able to deal with death and traumatized patients/carers.
7. Running a number of health and wellbeing topical “lunch and learn” sessions.
8. Developing and executing an enhanced menu of health and wellbeing benefits for staff, such as providing staff dedicated time to attend the national Primary Care Coaching service, group-based activities/clubs, or the Lifestyle and Wellbeing service (12-week programme) run by the system.

Study
Improving Workplace Satisfaction and Retention through Data Collection and Intervention. To enhance workplace satisfaction and retention rates, we propose the following plan:

• Collect staff absence data two months before and after the 12-month initiative
• Document staff retention rates for clinical and non-clinical roles
• Survey clinical staff before and after implementing wellbeing interventions to gauge the program’s impact on their work experience, workload, and reduction of work pressures
• Conduct a staff survey to measure satisfaction in the workplace, as well as health and wellbeing needs.

By integrating these initiatives into a PCN, we strongly believe that workplace satisfaction and retention rates will improve, and overall staff morale will be positively impacted.