The Role of GP Federations in Supporting NHS Primary Care

General Practitioner (GP) Federations play a vital role in the NHS by fostering collaboration across multiple practices to improve healthcare delivery at a local level. In England, there are around 200 GP federations, varying in size from small groups of 10 practices to large networks with over 80 practices, often collectively serving hundreds of thousands of patients. Federations also exist across the UK, each aiming to improve patient care, operational efficiency, and access to resources through shared initiatives.

What Do GP Federations Do?

GP Federations bring together primary care providers to deliver patient services at scale, sharing responsibility for delivering high-quality, patient-centred care. These federations provide economies of scale for back-office functions, allow for joint tendering of services, and offer shared resources for training and clinical governance. Many federations support services such as mental health programmes, extended hours clinics, and community-based health services, working to meet local needs more effectively than individual practices could alone.

Why GP Federations Exist

The concept of federations emerged to strengthen the capacity of practices, enabling them to deliver better-integrated services and compete with private healthcare providers. Federations also help practices navigate the increased demand on primary care by enabling shared resources and reducing duplication. With NHS waiting lists reaching unprecedented levels, federations are crucial for facilitating extended access and supporting the NHS’s ongoing recovery, especially after the pandemic, by pooling resources for vaccination programmes and other high-demand services.

Case Study: Primary Care Sheffield (PCS) as a GP Federation

Primary Care Sheffield (PCS) is an example of a successful GP Federation. As a city-wide network, PCS works across 15 Primary Care Networks (PCNs) and serves more than 650,000 residents in Sheffield. By collaborating on extended care services, PCS has been instrumental in providing evening and weekend GP appointments, improving patient access and helping reduce the strain on urgent care services. PCS also supports practices with centralised services such as enhanced nursing support, staff training, and digital health initiatives. Their efforts have made a tangible difference in reducing local healthcare inequalities and enabling more efficient use of resources across Sheffield's primary care landscape.

PCS exemplifies how federations can empower GP practices by sharing best practices, facilitating larger-scale health initiatives, and expanding access to primary care for diverse patient needs. For more about PCS, visit their website at Primary Care Sheffield.

Positive Impacts on the NHS

Federations have had a significant impact on primary care, especially by increasing accessibility and improving patient care. They have shown that working at scale can lead to better health outcomes, more efficient service delivery, and stronger support for clinicians facing high patient demands. Furthermore, federations have been able to secure additional funding and resources for local health services by acting as a unified entity, demonstrating a commitment to reducing health inequalities and improving the health of entire communities.

The Future of GP Federations

GP Federations will likely continue to be a cornerstone of NHS strategy, integrating further with initiatives like Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) to expand their role in managing population health. By advocating for local primary care on a larger scale, federations are well-positioned to support the NHS in addressing future healthcare challenges while ensuring patients receive timely, quality care across the UK.