A Day In The Life...

Dr George Naylor, GP Partner and Clinical Director, Dene and Stour Valleys Primary Care Network

Regular readers of the newsletter will know that I have previously interviewed Dr Paul Daniel to help our understanding of a typical day in the life of a Shipston Medical Centre (SMC) GP, so the focus of my discussion with Dr Naylor was in relation to his new additional role as Clinical Director for Dene and Stour Valleys Primary Care Network (DSV PCN). The PCN, as you may recall, is essentially a grouping of three practices; SMC, Hastings House Medical Centre and Meon Medical Centre, working together to enhance services (an example being the improved evening and Saturday appointment system) for their 32,000 patient population.

First things first though, I was curious to understand some of Dr Naylor's background. He explained he had wanted to be a GP since the age of 7 and after A-levels in Dorset, went to medical school in Cardiff where he met his future wife. A move to South Warwickshire for postgraduate training followed with Dr Naylor ultimately undertaking his final GP training at SMC with Dr David Williams as his trainer. Following a period as a salaried GP, he became a GP Partner at the Practice in January 2024.

Dr Naylor described how much satisfaction he gains from his GP work – both in terms of the opportunity to interact with patients, but also in helping them solve or manage their clinical problems. It became evident during our discussion though that throughout his career he has always sought additional opportunities to develop his skills and at the same time, change things for the better in terms of patient care and experience.

I heard that one of his first tasks as a GP Partner was to lead the project to improve the Practice appointment system which resulted in implementation of the current AccuRx system in February 2024. Patients regularly report back to the PPG that they much prefer this system to the previous one and by all accounts SMC staff find it much more efficient and equitable, and user-friendly too.

Becoming clinical director of the PCN means taking on a much wider remit though – possibly daunting for some, especially with limited time in his working week to dedicate to this role, but Dr Naylor said that he sees this as an exciting opportunity to make a real difference for the patients registered at the three practices. 

The timing is excellent. As I write this article, details of the government's NHS 10 year health plan are starting to emerge with headlines describing the planned shifts in investment 'from treatment to prevention' 'from analogue to digital' (which essentially means the targeted use of more technology), and 'from hospital to community', all of which will influence how the PCN seeks to improve services for patients in the future.

But why make these changes?

Dr Naylor explained the need to take action to better serve and support a growing population with increasingly complex needs whilst making much more efficient use of available resources. He said that the model of healthcare in the UK has traditionally been based around hospitals but that modern thinking is to move away from firefighting – and towards a new, more proactive and collaborative way of working across the health and care system helping people of all ages live healthy, active and independent lives for as long as possible.

If this sounds familiar, then that is because it is not a new idea! It has previously failed in part due to top-down NHS reorganisations, whereas this time the ambition laid out in the 10-year plan is for such initiatives to be locally led by PCNs as part of 'integrated neighbourhood teams'.

The goal is to make sure that all the different people potentially involved in a patient's care – for example GPs, nurses, specialists, local authority staff, mental health, occupational therapists, the voluntary sector - are working closely with each other to provide the best support. This team approach helps with early intervention, prevents health problems from becoming serious, empowers patients and makes sure that the care provided is as convenient and personalised as possible. 

Unlike many communities, we now have the benefit of the new Ellen Badger facility with space for both clinical and health and wellbeing services - essentially designed to accommodate and support these changes in our area. This Dr Naylor described as a fantastic opportunity for better, more coordinated care to be delivered locally - whilst enabling people to play their part in keeping themselves healthy too.

It is early days for Dr Naylor in his clinical director role, but I was struck by his enthusiasm for leading the changes necessary to turn this concept into reality for patients across the three practices. 

As he said, there is much to do so the focus to start with will be on just one group of patients, (perhaps those who are frail), proving the concept works and learning along the way – with patients - so that the principles can then be applied to further patient cohorts.

So what difference should that make for us all in the future?

It means receiving the right care at the right time, closer to home, without the need to try and navigate multiple services. So only having to tell your story once in order to receive support tailored to your needs.
It means more immediate access to the correct help with emphasis on preventative care and early intervention thus helping to reduce the likelihood of being admitted to hospital.

Finally – it means giving us the best chance of living a long and healthy life and improving our health and quality of life as a community. 

This is just the start of the journey towards more modern healthcare delivery for Shipston, Hastings House and Meon patients - but I will touch base with Dr Naylor and his colleagues at regular intervals so that progress can be shared in future newsletters.