Primary Care

Primary care services provide the first point of contact in the healthcare system, acting as the ‘front door’ of the NHS. Primary care includes general practice, community pharmacy, dental, and optometry (eye health) services.

Your local GP practice provides a wide range of health services, including medical advice, vaccinations, examinations and treatment, prescriptions for medicines, referrals to other health services, and social services. In Leeds, there are 92 GP practices, which care for around 900,000 people. Every practice in Leeds is a member of a primary care network (PCN). This is a group of practices which works together with community, mental health, social care, pharmacy, hospital, and voluntary organisations in their local areas.

Community pharmacists are highly trained healthcare professionals who play a key role in providing quality healthcare to patients. As well as ensuring the safe supply and use of medicines, pharmacists can advise on common problems such as coughs, colds, aches, and pains, as well as healthy eating and stopping smoking. They can also help you decide whether you need to see a doctor.

Dentists work to prevent and treat dental and oral disease, correct dental irregularities (particularly in children), and treat dental and facial injuries.

Opticians provide eye health services for patients.

For more information about primary care visit: https://www.england.nhs.uk/primary-care/

For more information about primary care in Leeds visit: https://www.healthandcareleeds.org/health/primary-care-services/

Priorities for the primary care board

The Leeds Primary Care Board brings together partners from across the city so that we can improve care, design more joined-up and sustainable primary care services and make better use of public resources. We have worked with our partners and local people to identify key areas to work on. These areas are:

• Improving access to primary care services
• Implementing the GP contract including any contractual changes i.e. mergers
• Supporting the development of Primary Care Networks
• Supporting the development and growth of the workforce
• Supporting the development of Estates and Digital
• Improving Outcomes for the population
• Improving Quality and Patient Experience

Insight review

We have worked with our partners to review the feedback (insight) we already have about people’s experience of primary care. This will help us understand what we already know. You can read the report below:

Download the primary care insight report (Microsoft Word version)

We held a public involvement workshop to check the findings of our insight report, review our identified areas of work (as above), and discuss our approach to public involvement on the board.

Notes

Download the notes from the primary care public involvement workshop (Microsoft Word version)

Slides

Download the primary care public involvement workshop slides (PowerPoint)

People’s experience of primary care services

We always want to hear about your experiences of using services, it helps us know what’s working, and where things could be improved.

There are a number of ways you can tell us about your experiences:

‘How does it feel for me?’ project by Healthwatch Leeds

Get involved in sharing your experiences by video or written testimony. Your feedback will be shared with senior decision-makers in Leeds. See people’s experiences and find out more by visiting:  https://healthwatchleeds.co.uk/our-work/how-does-it-feel-for-me/

Share your story on Care Opinion

Care Opinion is an independent place where you can share your experience of health or care services, and help make them better for everyone. You can share your own story on Care Opinion. Say what was good and what could have been better.

Find out more and tell your story