226. ‘GP Champions' in England; Family Physicians and Youth Workers Collaborate in a New Model of Youth-friendly Primary Care Practice to Address Unmet Need

To develop a national network of GP Youth Health Champions working in collaboration with the voluntary youth sector to improve young people's access to health services. General practitioners (GPs) are primary care family physicians in the UK. Everyone is expected to register with a GP as their medical home; children are registered by their parents at birth. If they move to another community, they re-register. GPs treat all ages, and can develop relationships with young people through adolescence, but research suggests that better engagement is needed. The project will test the GP Youth Health Champion model in ten areas, resulting in new resources, including a guidance toolkit adaptable to different areas. GPs' knowledge of the voluntary sector and its role in meeting health needs will increase. In parallel, the voluntary sector's understanding of health needs will improve. New services will be initiated where there are gaps, and better partnerships will be secured between commissioners, young people, GPs and others. The project aims to assist GPs, Directors of Public Health, Directors of Children's Services, Clinical Commissioning Groups and NHS England in their new roles. The project launched in 2012, inviting youth workers to develop local initiatives with a neighboring GP. Ten study sites were selected across a range of rural to inner city populations. A series of one day national ‘learning sets’ were designed and delivered. Year 1 learning themes included evidence and trends in topics such as different models of service delivery and innovative ways of working together. Year 2 included local consultation with young people, developing local plans, and support to address service gaps and new commissioning. In year 3, the learning is being consolidated and a toolkit launch due 2015. This will be shared with Directors of Public Health, GPs and Royal Colleges. The program has been evaluated 'in-action' from the outset by independent researchers. Funding is from the UK Government Department of Health, covering travel costs and limited cover for clinical time. The participating youth agencies offer a range of expertise and no two pilot sites are alike. They have all adapted to their local contexts, health needs and developing relationship with their linked GP. Specific examples of innovation include collaboration to offer health ‘drop-in’ opportunities for unregistered youth, mistrustful of conventional services. Such initiatives have contributed to Public Health England's forthcoming Adolescent Health and Wellbeing Framework. All sites remain active despite significant external structural changes. Two have secured continuation funding from local commissioners. Working across disciplinary backgrounds and infrastructure is challenging and requires a shared commitment to common goals. The youth workers and GPs face increasing demand with reduced security and funding. Having young people's participation at the center of this pressured work environment was vital. Most sites have seen benefits of collaboration.