HEE's North West Allied Health Professions Network are supporting the implementation of multiprofessional roles in Primary Care, and associated improvements in patient care and experience, through a coordinated approach to workforce supply, training and education across the North West.

Background: AHPs in Primary Care

NHS England and NHS Improvement and the BMA have agreed an Update to the GP contract agreement 2020/21 to 2023/24. This agreement updates and enhances the existing five-year GP contract deal: Investment and Evolution.

The contract ensures general practice plays a leading role in every Primary Care Network (PCN), which will include bigger teams of health professionals working together in local communities. This includes funding for allied health professionals (AHPs) under the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme:

• First Contact Practitioner (FCP) physiotherapists (from 2020/21).
• Community paramedics (from 2021/22).
• Occupational therapists, dietitians, and podiatrists.

From April 2020 all roles under the scheme will be reimbursed at 100% of actual salary plus defined on-costs, to the maximum reimbursable amounts.

North West Primary Care AHP Ambassadors

As a team our North West Primary Care AHP Ambassadors will work in partnership locally and across the region to:

1. Support understanding of AHP roles in primary care and their uptake across Primary Care Networks (PCNs).
2. Provide advice and support on developing new AHP roles in primary care, including workforce supply, training, education, recruitment and retention.
3. Develop a suite of primary care AHP case studies across the region to supprot implementation.
4. Support the development of a North West AHP primary care network or collaborative.
5. Work with HEIs, students and others to support the future AHP workforce in primary care.

To do this the ambassadors will work collaboratively with a range of stakeholders, including primary care networks (PCNs), training hubs and regional teams.

For more information read the overview and latest update or contact ahp.northwest@hee.nhs.uk. 

Useful links and resources

• Musculoskeletal (MSK) First Contact Practitioners - videos and other resources from HEE
• Musculoskeletal First Contact Practitioner Services - HEE implementation guidance
• Musculoskeletal (MSK) primary care e-learning programme 
• AHP First Contact Practice in Primary Care - FCP module at the University of Central Lancashire
• First contact physiotherapy - suite of resource from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy