GP practices tell us that, whilst Coronavirus has presented many challenges, it has still been possible to support people who live with long term conditions by adapting the care and support planning (CSP) process to accommodate social distancing and restricted working. The Year of Care team, together with practice teams, have worked out how the nuts and bolts of CSP can be successfully adapted during the pandemic, including remote video and telephone ‘conversations’.
Key elements of delivering remote CSP conversations
Practices have been developing systems and materials to enable people to be prepared, so they can participate as fully as possible in CSP conversations when they are not able to attend their practice for a face to face appointment.
It is important to ensure that the subsequent conversations are as close to an equivalent experience as those held face to face and that, where possible, people have a choice about how and where their CSP conversation happens.
Top tips for ‘remote’ care and support planning
- Ensure the person is also prepared by having a planned time for their CSP conversation and check that they understand the purpose – avoid ‘cold calling’
- Send preparation materials such as agenda setting prompts and encourage the person to have a paper and pen ready to jot down notes and their care plan
- Where possible aim to create continuity by having a health professional that the patient already knows making the call
- Check who else is on the call with the person and ensure confidentiality
Year of Care Partnerships recently delivered a webinar on how to adapt care and support planning to include remote methods – you can watch a recording here https://bit.ly/3kW71jb.
New practices taking on CSP
Year of Care has also seen interest from practices who are new to CSP, and despite, or perhaps partly because of Coronavirus constraints, recognise the benefits a single CSP process can deliver, even when carried out using remote methods, including:
- A single information gathering visit for all the conditions a person lives with, so reducing separate visits to the practice
- Information sharing and preparation resources to enable people to get more out of the contact they have with health care professionals
- Inclusion of a structured person-centred medicines review
- A solution focused, person-centred conversation, including what matters most to the person and incorporating any clinical issues
- Linking people to ‘more than medicine’ activities/support
For further information please contact Year of Care Partnerships at enquiries@yearofcare.co.uk.
