Modality Partnership

The partnership was given a favourable mention in 2014 in the NHS Five Year Forward View. It already conducts 80% of consultations remotely using phone or Skype{{cn|date=July 2024}}.

Sarb Basi, the managing director, said in response to the NHS Five Year Forward View that it would be a “natural, logical progression” to manage capitated budgets for health and social care budgets through an integrated care organisation, building a "coherent strategic partnership" with an acute hospital and working with community health trusts to incorporate nursing and therapy services.{{cite news|title=Birmingham health leaders back forward view care models|url=http://www.hsj.co.uk/acute-care/birmingham-health-leaders-back-forward-view-care-models/5076193.article#.VGkX-fmsUk4|accessdate=16 November 2014|publisher=Health Service Journal|date=28 October 2014}} This appeared to connect with comments made by Simon Stevens to the House of Commons health select committee in October 2014 that he envisaged in Birmingham two large groupings of GPs - the Vitality Partnership and another which would employ geriatricians.{{cite news|title=Where do GPs fit into NHS England's plans?|url=http://www.gponline.com/gps-fit-nhs-englands-plans/article/1320369|accessdate=16 November 2014|publisher=GP|date=7 November 2014}}

It is suggested that under Simon Stevens' plan large primary care organisations like Modality could be in a position to challenge the dominance of NHS hospital trusts {{cite news|title=The future begins in Stevenstown|url=http://www.lgcplus.com/briefings/joint-working/health/the-future-begins-in-stevenstown/5076132.article|accessdate=16 November 2014|publisher=Local Government Chronicle|date=24 October 2014}} It has extended the primary care services to include urology, dermatology, rheumatology and x-rays.{{cite news |title=the Modality Partnership in Sandwell and West Birmingham |url=https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/projects/supporting-new-nhs-care-models/modality-partnership-sandwell-and-west-birmingham |accessdate=23 August 2018 |publisher=Kings Fund |date=2016}}

David Cameron cited the partnership in May 2015 when he praised Birmingham's transformation of primary care.{{cite news|title=Cameron praises Birmingham's Vitality Partnership initiative|url=http://www.itv.com/news/central/update/2015-05-18/cameron-praises-birminghams-vitality-partnership-initiative/|accessdate=20 July 2015|publisher=ITV|date=18 May 2015}}

It signed an agreement with Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust in November 2017 which was a “commitment to work collaboratively over the next three to five years with a view to forming a much more vertically integrated relationship”.{{cite news|title=Hospital trust and GPs sign deal in move towards ACS|url=https://www.hsj.co.uk/sandwell-and-west-birmingham-hospitals-nhs-trust/revealed-hospital-trust-and-gps-sign-deal-in-move-towards-acs/7021493.article?|accessdate=23 February 2018|publisher=Health Service Journal|date=22 January 2018}}

Nick Harding, one of the co-founders, and chair of Sandwell and West Birmingham Clinical Commissioning Group was reckoned by the Health Service Journal to be the 47th most influential person in the English NHS in 2015.{{cite news|title=HSJ100 2015|url=http://www.hsj.co.uk/7000366.article|accessdate=23 December 2015|publisher=Health Service Journal|date=23 November 2015}}

In April 2017 it took over four more GP practices in Hull, with 48,000 patients, bringing its total list to 150,000.{{cite news|title=Modality vanguard expands into Hull practices|url=http://healthcareleadernews.com/article/modality-vanguard-expands-hull-practices|accessdate=22 May 2017|publisher=Healthcare Leader|date=12 April 2017}} In June 2017 it took on Wokingham Medical Centre, its 27th practice, with 20,000 patients.{{cite news|title=Exclusive: Leading GP vanguard expands into third region|url=https://www.hsj.co.uk/newsletter/sectors/primary-care/exclusive-leading-gp-vanguard-expands-into-third-region/7018467.article?|accessdate=10 July 2017|publisher=Health Service Journal|date=5 June 2017}} In September 2017 it took over six GP practices in Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven, bringing its list to more than 200,000 patients.{{cite news|title=Vanguard GP provider expands into fifth STP patch|url=https://www.hsj.co.uk/primary-care/vanguard-gp-provider-expands-into-fifth-stp-patch/7020546.article?|accessdate=9 October 2017|publisher=Health Service Journal|date=13 September 2017}} It took over three practices based in Lewisham in July 2018.

The partnership started to offer online consultations using Push Doctor to more than 99,000 patients across six of the Modality practices in September 2018. If this is successful it will be extended to all their 400,000 patients.{{cite news |title=Major GP provider partners with Push Doctor app |url=https://www.hsj.co.uk/technology-and-innovation/major-gp-provider-partners-with-push-doctor-app/7023329.article |accessdate=11 October 2018 |publisher=Health Service Journal |date=11 September 2018}}

It proposes to run the bank and back office services for new primary care networks in England which include its practices, and is already doing so in Walsall.{{cite news |title=Super partnership prepares to lead GP networks nationally |url=https://www.hsj.co.uk/service-design/super-partnership-prepares-to-lead-gp-networks-nationally/7024863.article |accessdate=15 April 2019 |publisher=Health Service Journal |date=11 April 2019}}

It had the largest pay gap between male and female employees (60.7%) of 154 companies based in Birmingham in 2018/19.{{cite news |title=Birmingham City FC named and shamed among worst performing companies for gender pay gap |url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/birmingham-city-fc-named-shamed-16085006 |accessdate=15 April 2019 |publisher=Birmingham Mail |date=8 April 2019}}

In July 2019 it announced it would have to close one of the five GP surgeries it runs in Hull because of staffing difficulties.{{cite news |title=Top GP provider to close practice after ‘big reduction’ in doctors |url=https://www.hsj.co.uk/commissioning/top-gp-provider-to-close-practice-after-big-reduction-in-doctors/7025492.article |accessdate=23 August 2019 |publisher=Health Service Journal |date=5 July 2019}}

After activity surged in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in England the group found that its GPs had an average of nearly 50 patient contacts per day - around double what the British Medical Association says is the “safety limit". Average time per consultation had risen from 12 minutes in 2020 to 15 minutes in 2021, with a lot more mental health concerns.{{cite news |title=Large-scale GP group says its doctors routinely have ‘unsafe’ workload |url=https://www.hsj.co.uk/primary-care/large-scale-gp-group-says-its-doctors-routinely-have-unsafe-workload/7030788.article? |access-date=16 October 2021 |publisher=Health Service Journal |date=31 August 2021}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.modalitypartnership.nhs.uk/ Modality Partnership]

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Category:Health in Birmingham, West Midlands

Category:Health in Yorkshire

Category:General practice organizations

Category:Organisations based in Birmingham, West Midlands

Category:Medical and health organisations based in England