What can digital and transformation leads do in primary care?
Digital and transformation lead roles are a relatively new role to the ARRs scheme. They were introduced as an update to the PCN DES in October 2022. NHS England have suggested that any role description is flexible to allow for local variation and need. Currently one FTE is allowed per PCN, however this could be compromised from multiple people.
Suggested intentions for the role, and what is not intended is show below in the infographic:
Areas the role could support improvement in are:
- Effective use of triage and navigation
- Alignment and communication of patient access routes (including digital routes)
- At-scale or hub working at PCN level
- Developing effective pathways between the PCN and other local services
- Supporting self-care/self-service by patients and remote monitoring where appropriate
- Effective embedding of other ARRs roles
- Long term condition management and proactive care
- Collaborative problem solving with system partners
Training and Supervision
Pre-requisites
This role does not have to be a new person to the PCN, as this was not a role included in the 2019 PCN baseline. Reimbursement for staff can be claimed by a PCN if a) the reimbursement if for additional staff engaged or employed since 31st March 2019 and b) the reimbursement is not being used to subsidise practice-funded roles that existed as at 31s March 2019.
NHSE have stated that the digital and transformation lead roles are distinct from PCN and practice managers. However, PCNs can claim reimbursement for the time staff spend delivering the requirements in the role description.
Please see the FAQ document on the right for full details.
Training
Please see the page 3 in the digital and transformation lead role guidance document (on the right side of the page) for resources and training available to this role. As further guidance or resources becomes available, in 2023, we will endeavour to update this information.
Supervision
This is a senior role, as such supervision needs are not specified, and it would be expected that this is determined based on individual need.
Recruitment
An example job description can be found on the right of the page.