NHS Confederation has announced the launch of a new network for GP Federations as it seeks to unite federation managers across the UK and support members with tailored products such as bulletins, briefings and events. This will allow chairs, chief operating officers, and other senior federation managers to interconnect, co-operate on issues and share resources. Ensuring the ongoing support of primary care during the pandemic, while it copes with the NHS backlog from lockdown pauses, will be an early priority of this new network.

The network will push for the inclusion of federations withing future primary care strategy, including the potential for federations to support recovery across primary and secondary care. In England, there are around 200 GP Federations, of varying sizes and scope. Some represent patient populations of 200,000, while larger federations cover an area comprising 85 practices and over 600,000 patients.

They provide patient services that can be commissioned at scale across multiple areas to suit local needs, reducing unnecessary duplication. The Confederation have established an advisory board for its new network, with Fiona Adamson, Chief Executive of Hartlepool and Stockton Health appointed as the chair; and Dr Andy Hilton, GP and Chief Executive of Primary Care at Sheffield, as their vice-chair.

“Our Primary Care Federation Network will be the voice for federations in England, ensuring that they are appropriately represented and actively involved in shaping future healthcare strategy. It will complement our established offer for PCNs, recognising their interdependencies and opportunities for collaboration”, said Ruth Rankine, Director of Primary Care at the NHS Confederation.