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2 – Professional collaboratives

Professional Collaboratives (PCs) are networks of professionals, with shared expertise, working together to use their unique skills to assess the population needs of the population where they work. PCs will capture the knowledge and experience of local professionals to map service provision, identifying gaps and development needs to inform decision making and propose solutions.  Working with professional peers and across service boundaries helps our workforce to deliver the standards of care to which they aspire and makes it easier for them to advocate for their community to achieve wider system improvements.

Overview
The Accelerated Cluster Development (ACD) programme is supporting the development of Professional Collaboratives for each of the independent contractor groups.  Similar work is being undertaken to engage the knowledge and expertise of the Nursing and AHP workforce and mental health care services in the community by identifying dedicated time to salaried roles. 

Each professional group has a particular perspective on aspects of service provision.  Professional Collaboratives provide a structure to support connection with peers to review the quality and safety of local services, share experience and good practice for the area of expertise and to advocate for service improvement.

The purpose of the Professional Collaboratives is to:-

  • promote inter and intra-professional dialogue and cooperation to improve patient care and experience and 
  • to gather professional and user experience of the health and care system to inform priority setting and planning.

Aims will include:-

  • Improved population health and well being
  • Increased value from the care and support provided
  • Improved quality and safety of services
  • Engaged and developed workforce

Professional Collaboratives will be encouraged to propose the most effective solutions for the local context. This requires a dynamic approach to engage all relevant parties for a particular issue.

Clusters have demonstrated the importance of local knowledge and experience to inform service development. Regional Partnership Boards will gain detailed local intelligence through these structures, from public, service user and professional feedback.

Roles and responsibilities 
All professionals should engage with their peers to maintain their knowledge of current systems and service improvement activity.  Teams should identify representatives to attend and support the local Professional Collaboratives.  For Independent Contractors contractual incentives support this work.  Health Boards must ensure that salaried staff have dedicated time to participate. 
The role of the Professional Collaboratives 
Professional Collaborative and Cluster Lead Role 
Cluster Lead Role Descriptor 
Professional Collaborative Role Descriptor 
 

GMS Professional Collaboratives: 
Quality Assurance and Improvement Framework (QAIF) : GMS contract 2021 to 2022 | GOV.WALES
Guidance for the GMS Contract 2021-2022

Pharmacy Professional Collaboratives:
A New Prescription: The future of community pharmacy in Wales

Optometry Professional Collaboratives: 
Coming soon

General Dental Service Professional Collaboratives:
Coming soon

Leadership /OD
A lead from each collaborative will engage and work with other collaborative leads to form the core membership of the cluster, bringing a strong multi-disciplinary focus on to the needs of the local community.  Leaders should be supported to develop skills and the Collaborative should be supported by colleagues with the expertise (innovation, project management, finance, workforce planning etc) and time to develop and progress local priorities.
 

Primary Care Collaborative meeting Model Terms of Reference
 

Collaborative and Cluster Lead Tutorial Video

Professional Collaborative Video - Gwella HEIW Leadership Portal for Wales