Looking ahead to a healthier winter with BHF

IN addition to responding to continued challenges in the wake of the Covid pandemic, Barnsley Healthcare Federation (BHF) is working in partnership with Barnsley Primary Care

Network (PCN) local member GP practices to transform the way in which patients across our region are supported and cared for when they come to us for treatment.

Our recent focus has been on two key areas – firstly we are encouraging the uptake of pro-active care which involves our primary care health teams working together with social care staff in new ways that are designed to co-ordinate all the different services and care pathways we on offer.

Secondly, we are significantly broadening the range of services we offer at our GP practices so that patients can get in front of exactly the right primary care professional as fast as possible without having to wait for a GP appointment or a specialist referral.

For these reasons, having looked carefully at the specific needs of our local population in Barnsley, we are now offering patients the opportunity to see a wider range of primary care specialists including health and wellbeing coaches, social prescribers and physiotherapists.

As we move into another challenging winter, it is expected that these primary care team members will make a significant difference to improving patient care across Barnsley, freeing up GP capacity and cutting waiting times for appointments during the time of year when demand is at its greatest.