IPC appointed to provide NHS Health Checks in Warwickshire
Warwickshire County Council has awarded the new NHS Health Check service contract to Coventry & Warwickshire Integrated Primary Care (IPC). This move sees NHS Health Checks returning to general practice.
The new contract begins on 1 July 2026 and will cover Rugby, Warwickshire North and South Warwickshire.
This contract puts GP practices back at the heart of delivering NHS Health Checks in Warwickshire and builds on the work we have already been doing with Warwickshire County Council to offer stop smoking support via GP practices.
The new service runs until 30 June 2028, with a possible extension of up to 36 months based on contract performance.
IPC commissioned to host Primary Care Research Hub
Coventry & Warwickshire Integrated Primary Care (IPC) has been commissioned to support primary care research across the local system.
The aim is to create a central hub which makes it easier for research organisations and community teams to navigate local research opportunities and expand research within primary care.
Coventry & Warwickshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) has commissioned the research hub to help address barriers facing academic institutions, industry partners, and secondary care organisations wanting to initiate or progress research in community settings.
Share your views on primary care research
As a first step, we are calling on all Coventry & Warwickshire GP practices to share their experiences of research. Please fill in our 1 minute survey to help us shape the research hub by 17 July 2026: Research in Primary Care in Coventry and Warwickshire – Fill in form
Digital Champions update
IPC’s Digital Champions Team were proud finalists in the Digital Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award category at the HSJ Digital Awards 2026, following their work helping communities access the NHS App.
Although the team did not take home the award on the night, to be included as one of just six finalists in a national award is an incredible achievement and reflects the hard work and collaboration of the team and colleagues in practices and PCNs across the system.
New case studies shine spotlight on collaborative projects: New case studies covering recent projects are available to help practices and PCNs understand more about how the Champions service can support them. Recent case studies include:
Digital inclusion in Nuneaton and Bedworth (reported in Pulse PCN)
Equipping Patient Participation Group Volunteers to Deliver NHS App Support
The Digital Champions are about to start work training library staff in Hereford & Worcestershire to help members of the public use the NHS App. This builds on work already undertaken within Coventry & Warwickshire.
Primary Care Gynaecology Service update
The PCGS received 2169 referrals in 2025/6 – an increase of 22% compared with 2024/25. The current wait time is around 12 weeks.
Recent developments include:
- A new North Warwickshire PCGS site at Station Road Surgery, Atherstone opening this month
- A new clinician joining the team
- 11 clinic sites operating across Coventry & Warwickshire – we are still looking for additional rooms in Coventry
- SWFT consultants are offering additional training to allow us to continue to upskill the PCGS team.
We continue to receive positive feedback for the service, with the latest quarterly figures (Jan-Mar 26) showing that 96% patients who provided feedback rated the service good or very good overall.
Primary Care Dermatology Update
Since the Primary Care Dermatology service was launched in April 2025 we have:
- Received and processed 4024 referrals in 13 months
- Set up 12 clinic locations throughout Coventry and Warwickshire
- Provided 6616 appointments
- Kept waiting times short with 40 days being the average wait to first appointment.
We would like to highlight the range of minor surgical procedures available within our Community Primary Care Dermatology service across Coventry and Warwickshire. Our service can provide the following procedures where clinically appropriate:
- Excision/incisions
- Biopsies, including punch & shave biopsies to aid diagnosis
- Curettage and electrocautery
- Cryotherapy
- Removal of low-risk basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) on the trunk and limbs
- Removal of benign lesions where there is a clinical need for diagnosis (non-cosmetic)
All our clinicians are trained in dermoscopy, supporting accurate assessment and diagnosis.
Ophthalmology Coordination Service
Since launching the OCS, referrals have continued to rise, as more optician practices have been onboarded and joined the referral scheme.
| Yearly referrals | Average Monthly referral rate | |
| May 24- March 25 | 18,359 | 1,669 |
| April 25-March 26 | 25,932 | 2,161 |
| Total referrals processed | 44,291 |
Feedback from patients remains very positive, with 96% of those who provided feedback rating their experience of our service as excellent or very good.
Gill Schweigert Innovation Award nominations now open
The Gill Schweigert Innovation Award has returned for 2026, with nominations now open.
Run by Coventry & Warwickshire Training Hub, this award recognises nursing teams across General Practice in Coventry and Warwickshire who are making practical improvements to patient care, team working or service delivery. If your nursing team has introduced a new way of working, improved access or outcomes for patients, identified a gap in the system or made a change that helped your practice or PCN, please consider nominating them when nominations open.
It does not need to be a large-scale project to be considered. Small changes with clear impact are exactly the kind of work we want to hear about. Visit the Training Hub website for details on how to nominate.
For all the latest Training Hub news, visit: https://www.cwtraininghub.co.uk/june-newsletter-2026-cwth/
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