The Primary Care Department is an integral part of the Workforce Training and Education (WT&E) directorate across Kent, Surrey and Sussex (KSS). The region is a densely populated part of the South East benefiting from close proximity to London, good rail links and several areas of outstanding natural beauty including a long and ever-changing coastline.
The Primary Care Department exists to support and lead the recruitment and retention of the entire multi-professional primary care workforce, including doctors, nurses and the increasing range of allied health professionals joining the primary care workforce in recent times. Our vision is to ensure that not only is there sufficient supply of health professionals now and in the future, but also that primary care in KSS is the best place to work.
The KSS Primary Care Department is led by Professor Christopher Warwick, who is supported by an amazing team of dedicated educators and administrators. By combining active clinical roles with their educational activity, almost all of the team remain connected to patients on a regular basis, aware of how important understanding of the current pressures in practice can be.
To find out more about the entire Primary Care team, please visit our team webpage.
Structure of the Primary Care Department
The KSS Primary Care Department covers the geographical areas of Kent, Surrey and Sussex looking after a population of 5.2 million; served by around 4,000 GPs, three Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), ICB-level Training Hubs, Locality Training Hubs, Acute Hospital Trusts, and Mental Health Trusts.
Within the Primary Care Department there are two schools. The GP School is concerned with supporting GP training; and the Primary Care School oversees the work of the Primary Care Training Hubs to support the multi-professional workforce, as well as the post-CCT medical workforce.
Primary Care School and Training Hubs
The KSS Primary Care Department has been involved in Training Hub development since its inception, with some of the earliest precursors – Community Education Provider Networks – flourishing in the region. Now adopted as the vehicle of choice by NHS England, the Primary Care School exists to oversee and quality manage the Training Hubs and educational activity for the entire workforce – student and qualified, with the specific remit of supporting recruitment and retention. The work of the Training Hubs requires close collaboration between NHSE, ICBs and HEIs, with the Primary Care School providing the educational and quality governance for their activity.
Allison Hawes is Head of the School of Primary Care for KSS and leads a team of Clinical Leads / Associate Deans who are a group of working clinicians with interests and qualifications in primary care education and its management. Their work leads the educational networks in their local areas, including the team of GP Tutors based in localities. There is more information about the Training Hubs on their webpages.
Website feedback
We would be pleased to hear your views on the primary care website and would also like to hear from you if you feel there are areas we should improve on or have missed. Please email the Primary Care Department team.