https://club.hcqc.co.uk/c/self-audits/edit-lesson/sections/517638/lessons/2696458
General practice does not exist in isolation. Patients’ needs are complex and often require seamless collaboration between health, social care, and community services. By working in partnership and engaging directly with communities, practices can ensure care is joined-up, equitable, and responsive to local needs.
🔍 Why This Audit Was Created
This week’s audit has been developed in line with the CQC “We” statement on Partnerships and communities:
“We understand our duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so our services work seamlessly for people. We share information and learning with partners and collaborate for improvement.”
The audit focuses on how practices connect with local organisations — such as community pharmacies, PCNs, social care, and voluntary groups — while also ensuring patients and community members have meaningful opportunities to shape services.
By embedding partnership and community engagement into everyday practice, teams can improve outcomes, reduce inequalities, and strengthen trust with the people they serve.
Why It Matters
- Improved outcomes: Collaborative working ensures patients receive joined-up care across multiple services. For example, working with pharmacies improves medicines optimisation, while joint initiatives with local hospitals support safe discharge and continuity of care.
- Reducing inequalities: Community engagement helps identify groups who may experience barriers to access or poorer outcomes. Partnerships can then deliver tailored outreach (e.g., vaccination drives in underserved areas).
- Building trust and transparency: Patients who feel their voices are heard through PPGs, surveys, or outreach activities are more likely to engage with services and follow through with care.
- Meeting CQC expectations: Partnerships and community engagement link directly to Regulation 17 (Good Governance) and Regulation 9 (Person-Centred Care), ensuring practices act on the best intelligence about risks, performance, and outcomes.
What Good Practice Looks Like
- Active participation in PCN initiatives and local health networks.
- Patient Participation Groups (PPGs) that reflect the diversity of the practice population.
- Shared learning with partners from significant events, audits, or quality improvement projects.
- Joint community health campaigns to address inequalities and local health needs.
- Leadership commitment to creating an open, collaborative culture where partnership is valued.
Final Thoughts
Strong partnerships and community engagement are not “add-ons” — they are essential for delivering care that is safe, effective, and equitable. When practices work collaboratively with external partners and listen to their community, they create systems that are more resilient, inclusive, and responsive to real patient needs.
This audit helps practices evaluate whether partnerships are robust and whether patients’ voices are genuinely shaping services. By learning from both successes and gaps, practices can demonstrate to staff, regulators, and their community that they are committed to collaboration, equity, and continuous improvement.
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