The GPCB is continuously strengthening how we represent general practice across BNSSG. As part of this, we’re improving our meeting processes to ensure GPCB meetings are as  impactful as possible.

GPCB meetings are a vital space for strategic discussion and decision-making for general practice in BNSSG. To make the most of this time, we’re strengthening our agenda-setting process to ensure GPCB meetings are more focused and inclusive, and that every item brought to the GPCB is clear, well-prepared, and meaningful.

 What’s changing?

We’re introducing a more structured and consistent approach. Before the meetings, presenters submitting a formal agenda item will be asked to complete a form answering questions about their item, engagement with the subject, and next steps.

Sharing a short summary of all agenda items with attendees and the Chair in advance will also help members prepare and engage within their PCNs effectively before the meeting.

 Why this matters

We believe this approach will lead to clearer decisions, better preparation, and more inclusive representation across the system.

Also:

• members will have the right information in advance, giving them plenty of time to engage on the subjects with their own practices and PCNs
• our meeting materials will be accessible to all audiences — avoiding jargon and acronyms
• decision-making items will be flagged and shared within set timeframes, making them clear for everyone

We’re excited to implement these improvements and continue strengthening the way we work together across general practice and the wider system.

 How to bring an item to the GPCB

If your practice has an issue to raise or an item you’d like to bring to the GPCB, you can:

• speak directly with your PCN representative, who can bring the item forward on your behalf
• alternatively, email the GPCB directly. We can direct your query to the most appropriate person – this could be the medical director, a clinical lead, or another representative already working on the issue. Items can also be brought as any other business (AOB) or as a discussion point — not all agenda items require formal papers

We’re here to ensure your voice is heard and that general practice remains well-represented in system-wide conversations. To find out more please contact gpcollaborativeboard@onecare.org.uk

One Care is working with 51 general practice partnerships across BNSSG to pilot ambient voice technology (AVT) — AI-powered scribe tools used during patient consultations. We’re collaborating with suppliers Heidi and Anima, both of which offer NHS-assured, compliant AVT products. Early feedback from practices has already shown promising results. 

Why try AVT in general practice? 

We want to improve patient experience of consultations, save time for practice staff by reducing the admin burden, and help reduce stress by helping to ease workloads. 

AVT supports these aims. It is a tool which listens during consultations, capturing what’s said and turning it into written notes. AVT reduces the need for typing, helping clinicians to stay focused on their patient. Notes are checked thoroughly before being included in the patient record.  

A practice taking part in the pilot reported: “Recently I did an entire surgery without Heidi (AVT). Looking back at the records this morning, I can see the difference in detail captured and safety netting. There’s no doubt my consultation records are richer through using AVT.” 

Another practice said: ‘Heidi significantly reduces typing time – approximately a 50% reduction.  It helps clinicians organize their thoughts and focus more on the patient during consultations. It is particularly useful for mental health and autism assessments.’ 

We’ve worked with practices taking part in the pilot to help them use AVT safely, and to make sure patients are fully informed about its use. All are given the choice to opt-out of having it used during their appointments. With 51 practices taking part in this pilot, the consultations of over 850,000 patients can potentially be supported by AVT during the project. 

What has been learned so far?  

We are a quarter of the way through the 12-month pilot, and our findings to date include: 

• time saving: most practices in the pilot believe the AI scribe is saving time on clinical documentation – and it’s not just GPs using the technology, but medical secretaries, practice managers and other staff too  

• positive patient response: most patients are very positive about AVT being used in their care. Patient opt-outs have been rare, but rose slightly following the media coverage about non-assured products 

• equalities issues: there are equalities issues which need further exploration – for example, whether the technology performs less well for patients whose first language isn’t English 

• levels of use: in the last three months, GPs across BNSSG have held over 40,000 total sessions, generated over 49,000 sets of clinical notes or documents, and over 470,000 minutes have been transcribed with Heidi 

 What’s next? 

We will evaluate the experiences of staff using AVT to help practices decide if it offers value for money. We’ll share updates throughout the pilot, and the final report will be available in early 2026 

We are also discussing with our partners in hospital and community services how the use of AVT can be integrated across health and care in the region.   

To find out more about the AVT pilot please contact morgan.daly@onecare.org.uk and westley.lane@onecare.org.uk 

A project to improve the identification of homeless patients within a Bristol PCN has resulted in more than double the numbers identified, helping the PCN’s practices plan and allocate their services more efficiently.  

People who are homeless face significantly shorter lifespans, on average dying 30 years earlier than the general population. And modern homelessness is complex, now including various forms of unstable housing. Targeting this vulnerable group with the vital healthcare they need is challenging, particularly in inner city settings.    

Our population health management analysts worked with Bristol Inner City PCN on the project to address this.  

Anne Wray, advanced nurse practitioner, who led the project in the role as Bristol Inner City PCN health inequalities lead, said: ‘We found a lack of coding as well as inconsistent coding of homelessness within our healthcare system meant we didn’t have a clear and accurate picture of the health challenges faced by this patient group. This hindered our ability to effectively allocate resources and tailor healthcare interventions.’  

One Care sourced the specific data across the PCN after organizing data sharing agreements, and created a template in EMIS for clinicians to use. The project resulted in the introduction of specific EMIS codes, reducing the number of codes previously used.    

One Care’s population health analyst, Phil Gladwin, said: ‘Clinicians now receive a pop-up in EMIS prompting them to use the recommended codes in a template. The impact was immediate – in just two months the number of homeless patients identified increased from 186 to 508 within Bristol Inner City PCN.     

‘Our data demonstrates that the homeless population in Bristol Inner City PCN is diverse. This highlights the importance of using data rather than assumptions to provide person-centered care. The improved data resulting from this project is currently being used to tailor the care of patients with diabetes experiencing homelessness.’   

Anne Wray added: ‘We hope this template and pop-up alerts can be adopted across the wider system to improve coding in the whole region. By accurately identifying the homeless population within BNSSG, we will be taking a significant step towards providing them with the tailored healthcare they urgently need.’  

If you would like to find out more – or would like to discuss how our population health analysts can help your PCN or practice target patient groups – please email business.intelligence@onecare.org.uk

Our 2024/25 annual round-up report is now available. The report highlights the impact of our support services over the past financial year, along with key updates on our programmes, project outcomes, and financial position for 2023/24 and 2024/25.
Access the full report here.
If you have any questions, please contact us at enquiries@onecare.org.uk.

Since it began in August 2023, the GPCB workforce programme has introduced a number of initiatives designed to ease your practice’s staffing challenges and pressures.

Here’s a brief overview of the programme’s developments so far – all available to you to help with your staff recruitment and support:

• recruitment pool

To help make staff recruitment easier and quicker for practices by enabling the sharing of potential applicants’ details

• entry level general practice non-clinical qualification

A brand new, fully accredited course designed to encourage people to consider general practice as a career choice. The course can also support new staff induction

• Celebrating our clinical and non-clinical workforce

Our recognition scheme to celebrate members of staff who are really appreciated in their practice

• introductory video for new staff

To support staff induction, by introducing new recruits to how general practice works, and how it fits into the wider BNSSG system

• library of resources

With useful information on training suppliers, approved staff agencies, and coaching and mentoring

Full details are available here. If you would like to discuss any aspect of the GPCB workforce programme please contact bryony.campbell@onecare.org.uk.

Our population health management analysts have been working with local GP Dr Claire Hawcroft on a project to extract data on the incidence and prevalence of pelvic floor conditions in Bristol Inner City PCN’s patients. Very little data is available nationally for this condition, and the project aims to get a clear indication of the burden it is putting on primary care.

Phil Gladwin, One Care’s population health analyst said: ‘This project is a great example of how our team can work with practices and PCNs to extract key data in support of service provision.

‘By identifying data for key conditions and associated demographics, we can help practices identify specific patient groups who would benefit from proactive, targeted care. We can also help practices develop strategies for the health needs of all their patients. More targeted services can lead to financial and administrative savings.’

Dr Hawcroft, a GP at Lawrence Hill Health Centre, was undertaking a 12 month population health fellowship with Bristol City Council focusing of promoting women to be more physically active during and after pregnancy.

Dr Hawcroft said: ‘There is a lack of consistent data nationally and locally on the prevalence of pelvic floor dysfunction. This gave us an opportunity, with One Care’s expertise, to interrogate regional primary care data to capture the numbers and prevalence of patients with these conditions.

‘The data has given us an indication of the burden of these conditions seen in primary care. We have also been able to analyse differences by demographic factors such as deprivation, age and ethnicity.’

Data analysis following the project is continuing and final results will soon be shared.

Our population health management analysts have already completed some vital work looking at:

• health inequalities
• chronic disease management
• condition prevalence
• vaccination uptake

If you would like to discuss how the team can help your practice or PCN please email: business.intelligence@onecare.org.uk

With changes to the GP contract set to take effect this October, this is a good time for practices to reflect on and refine their patient access models. Facing the dual challenges of rising patient demand and the pressures of all-day online access, finding solutions has never been more important.

To support this, our practice support team recently hosted an event bringing together BNSSG practices with colleagues from across Devon and Somerset. The session provided a valuable opportunity to share experiences, explore innovative approaches, and discuss practical strategies for improving access.

Some key themes emerged:

• there’s no one-size-fits-all model – practices can tailor their approach to create a system that works for their unique needs
• data is essential – robust data collection and analysis are critical to understanding patient demand and help effective planning
• managing demand without closing the door – practices are looking for ways to remain accessible while coping with increasing pressure

How One Care can support you

We can help you navigate these changes and improve your patient access. Our practice support and digital teams offer a range of services, including:

• hands-on support with care navigation systems
• demand and capacity audits – to help you plan your workforce
• toolkits to support care navigation and access

If you’d like to review or redesign your access model, we’re here to help. Please contact practice.support@onecare.org.uk to discuss how we can support you.

Would you like to explore the potential of technology enabled care and how it can benefit your patients? Our project lead offers a free, interactive course to BNSSG practices to showcase the different types of care technology available and how it can enhance patient care.

The course will also explore how technology can help to support preventative and proactive measures in areas such as hospital admission avoidance, reablement, frailty, cognitive impairment, and supporting long term healthcare management.

The training is open to anyone working in healthcare settings, particularly clinicians, care coordinators, health and wellbeing coaches and social prescribing link workers. Participants will gain an understanding of the types of technology available for care, how to implement these technologies, and the significance of person-centred decision-making.

To arrange training for your practice, please contact digital@onecare.org.uk