CCGs, GPs and LPAs: It’s time to work together

CCGs, GPs and LPAs: It’s time to work together

Even without COVID-19, a huge number of primary care providers have been running at full capacity for years. Pressure to meet care and quality targets is only going to increase as the population grows and underfunding and frequent financial penalties will make this even harder.

COVID-19 has had devastating effects on the healthcare sector, and primary care providers now have the chance to seek increased financial contributions from developers. Collaboration between Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), GPs and Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) will be key to securing the future of the UK’s healthcare service.

Funding for expansion

A new residential development will inevitably impact primary care providers as a wave of new patients appear. Often, the only solution is to expand, increasing capacity and lessening the pressure on the service. However, this costs money that many GP surgeries or healthcare providers simply may not have, and therefore contributions towards this burden should be something that the developers plan to support right from the start.

Factors such as the number of homes and the development population should be considered, and the funding the care provider is entitled to then based on this.

Community infrastructure levy (CIL) regulations

Initially, CIL regulations had pooling restrictions that limited the funding that care providers could receive to just five agreements. Recent planning reforms mean this is no longer the case, allowing providers to seek provision from as many agreements as needed, where the development is set to affect their services.

It is vital that care providers take action to secure any opportunity for funding that is presented to them.

Engaging with the planning process

Monitoring for new developments should become part of normal business for CCGs and GPs. When one does appear, they should engage with the planning process early on and respond to applications as and when they come in.

Primary care providers should also engage with policy at a local level, ensuring that it supports the financial requests they may consider submitting as new developments arise. Proactive engagement is essential.

Prioritising administration

The day-to-day care of patients will always be healthcare’s main priority, but that doesn’t mean administration can be forgotten. Unless primary care providers have adequate resourcing, it will be difficult to make the most of these funding opportunities. Employing consultants could be one way to stay on top of policy changes and applications to make sure they can be actioned efficiently.

Now more than ever, collaboration between LPAs, housing developers and care providers is necessary. The services that the healthcare sector offers are vital, and we need to ensure that it has the funding it needs to withstand any - and all - future challenges.

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Contact us

For guidance and support on how we can help you to secure the future of the UK’s healthcare service, contact Paul Wakefield in our legal planning team.

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