Purpose

To award each of the four Primary Care Networks (PCNs) across Tameside (Ashton PCN; Healthy Hyde PCN; Stalybridge, Dukinfield & Mossley PCN; and Denton, Audenshaw & Droylsden PCN) £0.02m over two years (£0.01m in 2023/24 and £0.01m in 2024/25) to enable enhanced, evidence-based approaches to better support and engage with patients who face a range of inequalities to improve the early identification and treatment of risk factors for cardiovascular disease. With a particular focus on diagnosing and managing atrial fibrillation, hypertension and high cholesterol. This amount will be allocated to each PCN via an exemption to ensure that delivery takes place across GP practices in Tameside. Across all four PCNs, the spend totals £0.08m over two years and will contribute to reducing the rates of advanced cardiovascular disease, frailty and early preventable mortality in Tameside.

Decision

That it be DETERMINED that each of the four Primary Care Networks (PCNs) across Tameside (Ashton PCN; Healthy Hyde PCN; Stalybridge, Dukinfield & Mossley PCN; and Denton, Audenshaw & Droylsden PCN) are awarded £0.02m over two years (£0.01m in 2023/24 and £0.01m in 2024/25) to enable enhanced, evidence-based approaches to better support and engage with patients who face a range of inequalities to improve the early identification and treatment of risk factors for cardiovascular disease. With a particular focus on diagnosing and managing atrial fibrillation, hypertension and high cholesterol. This amount will be allocated to each PCN via an exemption to ensure that delivery takes place across GP practices in Tameside. Across all four PCNs, the spend totals £0.08m over two years and will contribute to reducing the rates of advanced cardiovascular disease, frailty and early preventable mortality in Tameside.

Reasons for the decision

·         To enable the successful implementation of enhanced evidence-based measures in GP practices to better support and engage with patients who face a range of inequalities to improve the early identification and treatment of risk factors for cardiovascular disease. This will contribute to reducing the high rate of early, preventable mortality in Tameside. 

·         This report proposes £0.01m award to each of the four PCNs in Tameside in both the 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years to fund the enhanced measures required in primary care to better engage with those residents who face additional barriers and inequalities in addressing long term health issues. This will run up to the end of 2024/25 and will have a total cost of £0.08m which is funded from the existing Population Health budget allocated to improving secondary prevention.

·         This funding will enable PCNs to develop their own rationale and work programme for how they will enhance their approach to supporting different patient groups to manage risk factors and long term conditions. 

·         The work can lead to an increase in early detection and management of risk factors and long term conditions in high risk people across the community, who otherwise struggle to engage with healthcare. This will reduce the risks of more advanced, late-stage cardiovascular disease and hospital admissions for events such as heart attacks and strokes. Longer term, this will reduce the rate of early, preventable mortality within the borough and will reduce the costly burden of people being more frail and unwell and relying on health and adult social care services as they grow older.