Making a success of a place-based team

Abstract

In 2019, South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust implemented a pilot scheme to create place-based teams (PBTs) across the community under its leadership. These were to align themselves to the newly formed, geographically located, primary care networks (NHS England, 2019), and renamed integrated care systems (NHS White Paper, 2021). Their implementation and leadership was, as a result, devolved to these individual localities. In part, the drive behind this initiative was to address many of the social challenges that patients face, such as social isolation, anxiety and mental health problems -- situations that often lead patients to consult general practitioners and healthcare professionals, even when there are alternative interventions that would serve their needs more effectively. This article outlines how the setting up and implementation of a PBT, and its success in meeting patient needs, is attributed to a number of key elements and the committed organisational leadership and involvement of all those involved.