The NHS has published its new Medium-Term Planning Framework (2026–2029). It sets out how systems, practices and Primary Care Networks (PCNs) will be expected to deliver change over the next three years.
It continues the work started under Modern General Practice Access (MGPA) but brings clearer expectations, measurable targets and a greater emphasis on neighbourhood delivery and sustainable digital adoption. For primary care, this means consistent access, more integrated neighbourhood models and better use of data to evidence improvement.
Access and Demand Management
Improving access remains the central focus for primary care. The framework sets a clear expectation that 90% of clinically urgent patients should be seen on the same day, whether face to face, online or by phone, and that every patient should know how their request will be managed on the day they contact the practice.
ICBs will monitor access and telephony data to identify variation in performance, reviewing queue times, call volumes, online consultation activity and call abandonment rates.
At Redmoor we’ve worked with hundreds of practices and PCNs to make access systems work effectively in real settings. Our work includes redesigning call flows to reduce waiting times, embedding total triage to route patients more efficiently, improving website usability so patients can self-serve, and strengthening care navigation so calls and appointments reach the right person first time.
In Pendle East PCN, for example, this approach reduced call volumes by 64% at Richmond Hill Practice, cut abandoned calls by 44% at Barnoldswick Medical Centre, achieved a 98% callback success rate, and supported three of five practices to move onto new compliant websites. Elsewhere, projects with Sale Central PCN have used total triage and smarter call menus to maintain average call answer times of under two minutes and keep patient satisfaction high, and we supported Wansbeck PCN to transition to a total triage model that has significantly reduce unnecessary GP appointments.
It’s important to recognise that these improvements don’t just benefit patients – they improve practice efficiency too. When access models are properly implemented, they free up staff time, reduce locum costs and increase productivity.
Evidence from NHS pilots show that well-structured access systems can unlock the equivalent of £150,000–£250,000 a year in value for a 10,000-patient practice by reducing wasted appointments and improving the use of existing capacity.
At Redmoor we continue to help GP Practices and PCNs interpret their data, optimise telephony and online consultation workflows, and embed care navigation as part of everyday operations so access improvements deliver measurable results for both patients and staff.
Reducing unwarranted variation across practices is a key focus for ICBs under the new framework. Through our EDGE benchmarking and performance insight tool, we help systems and PCNs view access, digital and utilisation data in one place, compare performance and identify where improvement support will have the greatest impact. EDGE also allows ICBs to monitor progress over time and direct resources where they are most needed.
At Redmoor we continue to help ICBs, PCNs and Practices interpret their data, optimise telephony and online consultation workflows, and embed care navigation as part of everyday operations so that access improvements deliver measurable results across the whole system.
Building Digital Adoption via the NHS App
Digital is now positioned as the default way patients should access and manage care where clinically appropriate. By 2028, the NHS expects:
- 95% of appointments to be bookable through the NHS App following triage.
- All patient messaging to move to NHS Notify, replacing local SMS systems.
At Redmoor we help practices and PCNs achieve this through practical delivery support. Across programmes in areas such as Wansbeck, West Wandsworth, Pendle East, Norfolk & Waveney and South Yorkshire, we have supported website improvements, staff training, social media campaigns and community NHS App promotion sessions. These combined approaches have led to registration growth of around 5–8% within six months, with Pendle East up 6% over a year and Sale Central reaching 70% registration rates, well above the national average. The results show that consistent staff engagement and patient-facing communication are key to making digital tools part of everyday access to care.
Prevention and Long-Term Condition Management
The framework places renewed emphasis on prevention, with national goals to reduce premature deaths from cardiovascular disease by 25% within ten years, expand digital health checks, and increase participation in weight management and smoking cessation programmes.
At Redmoor we help practices and PCNs put prevention into practice through smarter use of data, improved recall systems and targeted communication that reaches patients where they are.
Our Health Checks Pilot with Lancashire County Council is a good example. The project supports five practices to increase NHS Health Check uptake through data-led targeting, local outreach and coordinated social media and SMS campaigns. We’ve developed tailored messaging, AI avatar videos and translated content for non-English speakers, and included direct booking links in patient texts to make the process simple. Early results suggest uptake is on track to rise by over 30% compared with last year.
This work shows how practical communication, combined with insight and digital tools, can deliver measurable improvements in prevention and patient engagement.
The framework confirms that every system must now implement Integrated Neighbourhood Teams (INTs), linking general practice with community services, social care and voluntary partners.
Each neighbourhood will focus initially on people with frailty, those living in care homes, housebound patients and those at end of life. Systems are expected to have a 12-hour community urgent care offer in place from 2026.
Neighbourhoods will need to show measurable results, including reductions in avoidable admissions, shorter hospital stays and improved continuity of care.
At Redmoor, we’re helping PCNs and systems prepare for this through our INT Preparedness Webinar Series and our tools within the Digital & Transformation (D&T) Hub. The Hub includes an INT Assessment, Knowledge Base and Toolkit that support readiness reviews, learning resources and practical templates for implementation.
You can register for free via this link.
Patient Experience and Communication
Patient experience is now viewed as a core measure of quality rather than a secondary indicator of satisfaction. Practices are expected to collect real-time feedback, analyse Friends & Family Test results and complaints, and demonstrate how they are responding to what patients say.
At Redmoor we help practices and PCNs strengthen how they communicate – online, on social media, and in practice. Through our Social Media Managed Service, we support over 850 practices with professionally designed, clinically assured social media content, produced in partnership with Patient.info. This helps practices keep patients informed, promote digital tools such as the NHS App, and reduce unnecessary inbound contact.
We also deliver targeted communication projects and creative campaigns that use social media, SMS and video to reach specific audiences, improve health literacy and drive behaviour change. Using feedback and engagement data, we help teams refine their messaging and identify where communication improvements can make the biggest difference to patient understanding and overall experience.
Ambient Voice Technology and Automation
The Framework highlights ambient voice technology (AVT) and wider automation, including robotic process automation (RPA), as major enablers of NHS productivity. Providers are expected to deploy AVT at pace, supported by the national AVT registry, and to embed automation to reduce administrative burden, improve accuracy and free up staff time.
At Redmoor we’re helping systems, PCNs and practices explore how these technologies can be safely adopted. Through our AI and automation pilots, we’re identifying where tools such as AVT and RPA can have the most impact – from real-time note capture to automating recalls and back-office workflows. These developments reflect the Framework’s focus on digital-by-default processes that improve productivity, efficiency and the working lives of staff.
Pharmacy and Community Access
Pharmacy First continues to expand, with pharmacies providing emergency contraception, HPV vaccination and prescription services. Patients should increasingly use the NHS App to track and order repeat medicines.
We help PCNs align communication across practices and pharmacies so patients understand which services are available and when to use them. This clarity reduces unnecessary calls and protects clinical capacity for patients who need GP-led care.
Workforce, Leadership and Evidence
A new Management and Leadership Framework is being introduced, setting out standards for NHS leaders and linking workforce data with service performance.
What It All Means for Primary Care
The framework marks a shift from short-term recovery to sustained, measurable delivery. By 2029, practices and PCNs will be expected to demonstrate:
- Reliable same-day access for urgent patients
- Integrated neighbourhood teams delivering clear, measurable outcomes
- Consistent digital uptake through the NHS App and Notify
- Active use of prevention data to manage long-term conditions
- Improved patient experience and communication
- Increased productivity through automation and ambient voice technology
- Reduced variation in access and performance across practices
At Redmoor we help practices, PCNs and ICBs achieve these goals in practical, data-led ways. Our work focuses on what delivers visible improvement – stronger access models, smarter use of digital tools, targeted communication and neighbourhood collaboration – supported by benchmarking and automation that create time, capacity and measurable system value.
Blog by Dillon Sykes, Commercial Director for Transformation & Partnerships
Dillon has over 30 year’s experience working with and for the NHS which has given him an excellent understanding of NHS and commercial providers.
During his career he has a proven track record working with NHS organisations providing a sound knowledge and practical implementation of policy, products and services. This includes helping healthcare organisations implement health tech innovations, ranging from small team change to large organisational transformation.
His substantial experience of managing change helped many GP Practices to move from ‘legacy’ appointment systems to a digital first environment ensuring patients could access technology needed to improve care.
Now in his role as Commercial Director for Transformation & Partnerships, Dillon will work with ICBs, PCNs and Practices to help understand the digital agenda and be a resource to meet the challenges ahead to successfully improve care for staff and patients.
