The impact of COVID-19 on primary care: Insights from the National Health Service (NHS) and future recommendations

Faraz Mughal; Kamlesh Khunti; Christian D Mallen

doi:10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_756_21

The impact of COVID-19 on primary care: Insights from the National Health Service (NHS) and future recommendations

J Family Med Prim Care. 2021;10(12):4345. doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_756_21.

Authors

Faraz Mughal¹, Kamlesh Khunti², Christian D Mallen³

Affiliations

¹ GP and National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Doctoral Fellow, School of Medicine, Keele University, Keele.
² Professor of Primary Care Diabetes and Vascular Medicine, Diabetes Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester General Hospital, Leicester.
³ Head and NIHR Research Professor in General Practice, School of Medicine, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, United Kingdom.

Abstract

COVID-19 has changed health systems and services. In this commentary, we outline the impact COVID-19 has had on the delivery of primary health care, and on primary care teams, and describe the NHS response. We highlight the challenges of managing long-COVID and identify areas of importance for primary care in a post-COVID context. We describe ongoing public health measures and list recommendations for primary care for COVID-19 and future unknown pandemics. We conclude with salient points on the future of primary care.

Keywords: COVID-19; NHS; primary care.

Grants and funding

NIHR300957/DH_/Department of Health/United Kingdom