Members of the CaHRU team, including Prof Niro Siriwardena, Dr Gupteswar Patel, and Dr Joseph Akanuwe, together with a BMedSci student from Lincoln Medical School, Taliha Samar, attended the Society for Academic Primary Care Annual Conference held in Bristol on 3–5 July 2024. The team presented research that they conducted in collaboration with various partners over the past year. These research presentations advanced the field by highlighting the complexities and new knowledge associated with various innovations and practices in primary care, facilitating discussion(s) and dissemination.
Gupteswar’s presentation, titled “Understanding Heart Failure Service Innovations in Lincolnshire: A Realist Qualitative Study,” provided an in-depth understanding of the interconnectedness of contexts, mechanisms, and outcomes of the implementation of community cardiology services in Lincolnshire.
The study explored the complexities embedded in health and social care organisations, how these entities collaborate and function, and their role in navigating societal contextual factors. The study also highlighted decision-making processes within NHS systems, focusing on their adaptability and responsiveness to the evolving challenges introduced by new forms of care delivery. This includes the adoption of remote monitoring and virtual ward systems. Moreover, the study investigated the broader implications for patients and how these innovative service models impact patient care, outcomes, and experiences.
Prof Niro Siriwardena presented a mixed methods survey study funded by the RCGP, ‘Stakeholder views of the new simulated consultation assessment for GP licensing in the UK’ showing the generally positive views of GPs trainees, educators and the lay public of the new examination introduced in 2023.
Dr Joseph Akanuwe presented a poster on the Workplace Based Assessment (WPBA) study on behalf of the study team. Key findings from the study were highlighted including challenges experienced by GP trainees undertaking the WPBA and have achieved outcomes 2 or 3 at their Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP). Solutions suggested by GP trainees for mitigating these challenges were also highlighted.
Taliha Samar offered a lightning presentation on the diffusion of heart failure service innovation in Northamptonshire. The presentation highlighted several key factors that influenced the innovation’s adoption, diffusion, and implementation.
The crucial role of health and social care organisations in shaping the spread of new services was emphasised. The study also explored various elements such as organisational readiness, leadership support, and inter-organisational collaboration, offering empirical evidence on the complexities of implementing innovative healthcare services in a real-world setting.
The SAPC conference, held in Bristol, UK, provided a multidisciplinary forum to highlight research contributions to Health services and Primary care. This conference brought together academicians, clinicians, and experts from around the world to discuss the topic of “Sustainable Primary Care: Healthy Systems, Healthy People.”