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Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS)
Optimise your ARRS funding with Core Prescribing Solutions
What is ARRS?
The Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) is a cornerstone initiative within the NHS Long Term Plan, designed to revolutionise primary care services across the UK. By offering strategic funding through the NHS Reimbursement Scheme, the ARRS enables Primary Care Networks (PCNs) to enrich their teams with diverse roles, addressing the urgent need for a more comprehensive healthcare workforce. The ARRS roles list encompasses a wide range of healthcare professionals, from clinical pharmacists to social prescribing link workers, significantly expanding the capabilities of PCN ARRS teams.
What are the Goals of ARRS?
The primary goal of the ARRS is to alleviate the increasing pressures on general practices and improve access to healthcare services for patients. By expanding the clinical and non clinical teams through the reimbursement of additional roles, the scheme seeks to:
- Enhance the capacity of primary care services to meet the growing demand for healthcare.
- Deliver a broader range of services to patients, thereby improving patient outcomes and satisfaction.
- Support the integration of services within PCNs, facilitating a more collaborative and efficient approach to patient care.
- Drive forward the shift towards a more preventative approach to healthcare, reducing the reliance on hospital services and promoting community-based care.
The Roles Covered by ARRS
The ARRS roles in primary care are diverse, each contributing uniquely to patient care and the broadening of services offered by PCNs. From clinical pharmacists to first-contact practitioners, these roles are reimbursed through ARRS funding, enabling PCNs to more effectively meet the complex health needs of their communities.
The ARRS roles list is regularly updated, with ARRS roles 2024 introducing new opportunities for PCN ARRS expansion.
Click here for the full list of ARRS Roles
- Clinical Pharmacists: These professionals play a critical role in patient care through medication management, conducting medication reviews, providing advice on medication usage, and supporting chronic disease management. Their expertise in pharmacology ensures patients receive optimal therapeutic outcomes.
- Pharmacy Technicians: Working closely with clinical pharmacists, pharmacy technicians assist in the management of medications, including organising prescriptions, ensuring the safe supply of medicines, and supporting patients in understanding their treatment regimens.
- Health and Well-being Coaches: These coaches empower patients to take control of their health through lifestyle and behaviour changes. They work with individuals to develop personalised health plans, focusing on improving physical and mental well-being.
- Dieticians: Specialising in nutrition, dieticians provide expert advice on diet for health improvement, disease management, and prevention. They play a crucial role in developing tailored nutritional plans that cater to the specific needs of patients.
- Podiatrists: Podiatrists are essential for patients requiring foot care, offering treatment for foot and lower limb problems. Their work is vital in preventing and managing conditions that impact mobility and quality of life.
- Paramedics: Within the primary care setting, paramedics bring their urgent care skills to provide acute care, home visits, and support for emergency situations, enhancing the responsiveness and flexibility of healthcare services.
- Nursing Associates: Bridging the gap between healthcare assistants and registered nurses, nursing associates provide crucial support in patient care, offering a blend of nursing and care responsibilities.
- Occupational Therapists: These therapists assist patients in overcoming the challenges posed by illness, injury, or disability, focusing on improving their ability to perform everyday activities and enhancing their quality of life.
- First-contact Physiotherapists: Offering direct access to musculoskeletal expertise, first-contact physiotherapists reduce the need for GP consultations for musculoskeletal issues, providing assessments, diagnoses, and treatment plans.
- Care Co-ordinators: They play a pivotal role in managing patient care, ensuring that individuals receive coordinated services across different healthcare providers. This role is crucial for patients with complex health needs, ensuring seamless care transitions and support.
- Physician Associates: Working alongside doctors, physician associates support the diagnosis and management of patients. They perform medical histories, conduct physical exams, and can recommend treatment plans, enhancing the capacity of the healthcare team.
- Adult Mental Health Practitioner: These practitioners deliver crucial support in primary care settings, focusing on adults with complex mental health needs. They work to bridge the gap between primary and secondary care, offering interventions and promoting recovery and well-being.
- Children and Young People’s Mental Health Practitioner: Similar to their adult counterparts, these practitioners specialise in supporting children and young people within primary care. They play a key role in early intervention, offering mental health advice and support, and are pivotal in the NHS’s aim to increase access to mental health services for younger populations.
- Trainee Nursing Associate: Trainees in this role are on the path to becoming Nursing Associates, a position bridging the gap between healthcare assistants and registered nurses. They receive training across various healthcare settings, acquiring skills to provide care and support across the health and care spectrum.
- Social Prescribing Link Worker: These workers help patients connect with non-medical sources of support within the community to improve their well-being. They address social, emotional, and practical needs, directing individuals to local services and activities.
- General Practice Assistant: Assisting in the day-to-day operations of GP practices, these assistants support clinical staff with administrative tasks, patient care, and the management of patient records and communication.
- Digital and Transformation Lead: Focused on improving healthcare services through digital innovation, these leaders manage and implement technology-driven projects. They work to enhance patient care, streamline operations, and ensure the efficient use of digital health solutions.
- Advanced Practitioner: This role encompasses highly skilled professionals who can assess, diagnose, and treat patients. Advanced Practitioners work autonomously in specialized areas of practice, contributing significantly to patient care and service delivery efficiency.
- Enhanced Practice Nurse: These nurses hold a postgraduate certification at level seven or above in specialist care areas, marking them as essential in primary care. With a strong foundation in both theory and practice, they offer advanced skills in patient management and leadership. Their role, critical for bridging the gap between registered and advanced practice nurses, significantly boosts the quality and efficiency of patient care services.
- General Practitioners (GPs): Newly qualified GPs employed through the ARRS funding bring essential clinical expertise to primary care networks. Equipped with a comprehensive understanding of both general medicine and patient-centred care, these GPs play a crucial role in enhancing the quality of service delivery within PCNs. Their integration into primary care helps to alleviate workloads, improve patient access, and provide continuity of care. The addition of GPs through the ARRS ensures that primary care teams can manage increasing patient demand while maintaining high standards of clinical care.
Find out how we can help your PCN benefit from the ARRS
The Significance to Primary Care Networks (PCNs)
For PCNs, the ARRS scheme is transformative, providing the financial backing to diversify and augment their clinical teams. This multidisciplinary approach, supported by NHS ARRS funding, is key to offering holistic services that address the intricate health requirements of the population. ARRS roles PCN integration not only relieves the workload on GPs but also facilitates a more cohesive and efficient delivery of care.
Funding Details of the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS)
Understanding the intricacies of ARRS funding is crucial for PCNs aiming to leverage the scheme to its fullest potential. ARRS funding is allocated based on the population served, covering costs for each ARRS role, as delineated by NHS guidelines. This financial support is a significant boon for PCNs, allowing them to recruit ARRS staff without impacting directly their primary care budget, thus enhancing service offerings and managing patient demand more effectively. Additionally, understanding the ARRS pay scales is vital for ensuring fair compensation and budgeting within PCNs.”
Allocation of Funds
ARRS funding is allocated to PCNs on a per capita basis, reflecting the size and needs of the populations they serve. This approach ensures that resources are distributed equitably, allowing PCNs across the country to benefit from additional healthcare
Management of Funds
PCNs are responsible for the management of the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) funds. This includes planning how to use the funding effectively to meet local healthcare needs, recruiting and training for the additional roles, and ensuring that the employment of these roles delivers value in terms of patient care and service enhancement. PCNs must work within the framework provided by NHS England and NHS Improvement, which outlines the eligible roles and reimbursement suitability. For many practices, ARRS GP funding has become a critical enabler for freeing up GP time and improving service delivery rather than simply expanding headcount.
Financial Benefits for PCNs
The financial benefits of the ARRS for PCNs are significant. GP ARRS funding is increasingly used to reduce workload pressure by redistributing tasks across the wider clinical team and strengthening service resilience. Firstly, the scheme provides dedicated funding to expand the workforce without impacting the existing budget for primary care services.
The financial support allows PCNs to attract and retain skilled professionals. In practical terms, GP ARRS enables practices to offload routine and administrative workload, allowing GPs to focus on complex care, continuity, and clinical leadership. Additionally, by diversifying the skill mix within primary care teams, PCNs can deliver more comprehensive and efficient services, potentially reducing the need for costly secondary care interventions and improving patient outcomes.
Moreover, the ARRS funding supports the strategic objectives of PCNs by enabling them to develop services that are tailored to the specific needs of their local patient demographic. This targeted approach to healthcare provision not only improves patient satisfaction but also aligns with the broader goals of the NHS to create a more sustainable and proactive healthcare system.
Challenges and Solutions in Integrating ARRS Roles
Integrating ARRS roles into PCNs presents unique challenges, from role clarity to effective team integration. Solutions involve clear job descriptions, role-specific training, and strategic use of ARRS funding to ensure each ARRS role is utilised to its full potential, contributing to the overarching goals of the PCN ARRS initiative.
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Challenge 1
Role Clarity, Expectation Management and Primary Care Estates
Problem: One of the main challenges is the lack of role clarity and defined expectations for ARRS roles within PCNs. This can lead to underutilisation of these roles and frustration among team members. Primary care estates with inadequate room availability can prove a challenge to host these additional roles
CPS Solution: Core Prescribing Solutions addresses this challenge by offering fully managed technology enabled clinical services to help PCNs and clear service agreements. The service delivered by us can be delivered remotely such as remote prescribing, which does not negatively impact primary care estates and can be seamlessly integrated into any GP surgery,
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Challenge 2
Team Integration and Collaboration
Problem: Another challenge is ensuring effective integration of ARRS roles into existing teams, which can sometimes lead to resistance or a lack of collaboration due to unfamiliarity with new roles or overlap in responsibilities.
CPS Solution: CPS facilitates sessions aimed at fostering a collaborative environment. By emphasising the unique contributions of each role and promoting an understanding of the value they add, we help create a cohesive team dynamic. Additionally, we offer ongoing support to address any interpersonal issues that may arise, ensuring a smooth integration process.
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Challenge 3
Ensuring Role Sustainability and Development
Problem: Ensuring the long-term sustainability and career development of ARRS roles within PCNs can be challenging. This includes providing adequate training, job progression opportunities, and maintaining morale and job satisfaction.
CPS Solution: CPS addresses this challenge by implementing comprehensive development programs tailored to the needs of ARRS roles. This includes continuous professional development (CPD) opportunities, mentorship programs, and clear pathways for career advancement. CPS also advises PCNs on creating supportive work environments that encourage job satisfaction and retention.
Frequently Asked Questions about ARRS
This section addresses common queries regarding eligibility, the application process for ARRS funding, and how Core Prescribing Solutions can assist PCNs in maximising the benefits of ARRS roles. Whether it’s assisting with delivery of clinical services, understanding the ARRS meaning NHS or pension arrs meaning, or ensuring the sustainable integration of ARRS roles in primary care, Core Prescribing Solutions provides expert guidance every step of the way.
Our team is on call to help you maximise your ARRS funding. Click here to book your FREE CONSULTATION.
What do GP Partners say about our clinical services?
There has been a tangible reduction in GP workload…
Core Prescribing Solutions have worked very hard to recruit the best clinical pharmacists out there within the context of a national shortage of suitably qualified pharmacists. The PCN Pharmacist team have adapted to the individual needs of the member Practices and are working towards the specified targets. There has been a tangible benefit/reduction in GP workload as a consequence.
Dr A Biswas (GP Partner)
Contact Core Prescribing Solutions
Phone: 01274 442076
Email: info@coreprescribingsolutions.co.uk
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