Practice Level Support (PLS)

 PLS provides practical, tailored support to help practices improve patient access, strengthen operational performance and create a better experience for both patients and staff. The programme uses proven improvement methods, practical operational expertise and data-driven insights to help practices and PCNs deliver measurable and sustainable change..  

The programme can benefit both individual practices and groups of practices working together through PCNs and neighbourhoods, providing structured improvement support to address local priorities and deliver sustainable change. 

Working alongside practice teams,PCNs and neighbourhood partnersour experienced advisers help identify priorities, implement improvements and build the confidence and capability needed to sustain change over the long term. 

Through a combination of face-to-face support, facilitated improvement sessions and shared learning opportunities, PLS helps practices tackle everyday challenges while creating capacity for the future. 

Every practice faces different challenges. PLS is flexible and shaped around local priorities, helping practices to:

• Improve patient access and care navigation
• Streamline processes and reduce unnecessary variation
• Improve continuity of care
• Make better use of multidisciplinary and ARRS roles
• Increase operational efficiency and productivity
• Maximise the benefits of digital tools and technology
• Strengthen long-term condition management
• Build quality improvement skills and capability within teams
• Progress towards the Modern General Practice model
• Improve staff experience and workforce resilience

PLS has supported thousands of practices across England to improve performance, create capacity and enhance patient care.

National programme outcomes show:

• More than 1,000 practices completed the programme in a single year
• Practices released an average of 17 hours of recurring clinical and administrative capacity each week
• More than 75% of practices reported releasing, or planning to release, additional clinical and administrative time
• 78% improved staff experience, often through increased morale and wellbeing
• 49% embedded a sustainable approach to quality improvement
• 43% improved care navigation and signposting
• 27% increased the use of multidisciplinary and ARRS roles

Whether the goal is improving access, reducing pressure on staff or making better use of existing resources, PLS provides practical support that delivers lasting improvements.

Supporting practices to work together at neighbourhood and PCN level.

Alongside support for individual practices, PLS Collaborate helps groups of practices work together on shared priorities, common challenges and neighbourhood ambitions.

The programme brings together practices, Primary Care Networks (PCNs) and local partners to strengthen collaboration, share learning and develop coordinated approaches to local service delivery.

As neighbourhood-based models of care continue to evolve, PLS Collaborate provides practical support to help practices and PCNs turn local priorities into sustainable improvement and transformation programmes, reducing unwarranted variation and improving outcomes for patients and communities.

How PLS Collaborate can support PCNs, neighbourhoods and groups of practices:

• Align processes and pathways across multiple practices
• Improve consistency in patient access and experience
• Develop shared approaches to care navigation and triage
• Support neighbourhood and population health priorities
• Better understand and address health inequalities through the Fairer Practice model
• Strengthen collaboration across practices and partner organisations
• Reduce unwarranted variation in care delivery
• Build resilience through shared learning and improvement
• Support PCNs and neighbourhood teams to deliver strategic priorities

The NHS 10-Year Health Plan and the emerging Neighbourhood Health Service model place general practice at the heart of a more integrated, preventative and community-focused health system.

As primary care continues to evolve so has the RCGP PLS model, helping practices and PCNs develop the leadership, improvement capability and operational resilience needed to respond to changing patient needs, strengthen neighbourhood working and support delivery of the Modern General Practice model.

For practices, PCNs and neighbourhood teams, PLS provides practical improvement support, developing the leadership, improvement capability and operational resilience needed to thrive in this changing environment.

For commissioners, PLS offers a proven, nationally recognised improvement programme that supports measurable improvements in access, efficiency, workforce utilisation and patient experience, while helping primary care build the capability needed for successful neighbourhood working.

Interested in finding out more? Contact the team at PCD@rcgp.org.uk

Whether you are looking to improve access and productivity within a single practice or support improvement across a PCN or neighbourhood, our team can help. Email: PCD@rcgp.org.uk