A region-wide plan to strengthen and stabilise GP services has taken a major step forward, after Dumfries and Galloway’s health and care leaders endorsed a new shared vision for the future of general practice.
The Integration Joint Board (IJB) last week approved the findings of a year-long review and backed a move into the next stage of work – co-producing a detailed delivery plan with GP practices and system partners over the coming months.
Describing the report as being rooted in in partnership and shaped by extensive engagement, Director of Strategic Planning and Transformation David Rowland said: “We heard clearly what matters most to practice teams and to the people they serve.
“This vision is about supporting sustainability, strengthening relationships and making the whole system work better around general practice – not imposing change, but building it collaboratively.”
The review was commissioned in December 2024, and over the past year the team has carried out one of the most extensive engagement exercises undertaken in local primary care, involving more than a hundred sessions with GP partners, practice managers, salaried and locum GPs, MDT professionals, community organisations, third-sector partners and members of the public.
Voices from every part of Dumfries and Galloway were represented, shaping the identified six priority themes to guide future planning: service delivery, workforce, digital, data, premises and quality.
These are underpinned by three core principles – equity, integration and sustainability – and the ‘Four C’s’ described repeatedly in engagement sessions: consistency, continuity, collaboration and connection.
Immediate actions for the next 18 months include supporting practices to enhance MDT working, improving digital and data reliability, strengthening recruitment, retention and succession planning, and enabling clearer communication pathways for patients.
The next phase will also involve continued engagement with practices, clusters, partners and communities to ensure the implementation plan reflects local priorities and remains co-produced.
The IJB last week agreed to issue a direction instructing NHS Dumfries and Galloway to co-produce a full implementation plan with practices for March 2026.
Mr Rowland emphasised that the next phase must recognise the diversity and autonomy of GP practices.
He said: “Our practices are independent providers, each with their own strengths, challenges and ways of working.
“The aim here is to support them – practically and systematically – to maintain continuity of care, improve access and reinforce long-term sustainability.”
IJB Chair Kim Dams welcomed the progress and highlighted the importance of continued co-production, appropriate resourcing and clear communication with the public about what general practice can realistically deliver.
She said: “This is an important milestone in building a more resilient and supportive environment for general practice.
“Our objective is simple – to work alongside practices so people across Dumfries and Galloway can continue to rely on strong, accessible and person-centred general medical services.”
The full implementation plan will return to the IJB in March 2026, with work due to begin from April.