The Suffolk GP Federation has had a powerful effect on diabetes care in the area and is a model for other provider co-operatives. Its chair, Dr Paul Driscoll, is a GP in Felixstowe and has watched the development of the £10m community diabetes project in North East Essex (NEEDS), which garnered praise from Diabetes UK and managed 4,000 more patients through all eight recommended care processes than in 2014. It is a powerful example of how practices can work together to improve care.
As well as maintaining the impetus of the diabetes project, Dr Driscoll is now working on the rollout of the Prime Minister’s Challenge Fund.
