Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39781614›Full record

ArticlePrimary health care research & development2025

Associate Psychological Practitioners (APPs) in primary care: modelling the impact.

Fiona Lord, Miranda Budd, Kathryn Jane Gardner, Gita Bhutani, Debbie Nixon

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Primary health care research & development, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Fiona LordWorkforce Analytics, Planning & Development Manager NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board, UK.
Miranda BuddPennine Care NHS Foundation Trust (PCFT), Rochdale, UK.
Kathryn Jane GardnerSchool of Psychology, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, Lancashire, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-3904-1638
Gita BhutaniLancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT), Preston, Lancashire, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-2732-6479
Debbie NixonInnovation Agency North West Coast, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe 'Associate Psychological Practitioner' (APP) is an innovative new role that expands the psychological workforce and addresses the rising demand for mental health services in England, yet the impact of this role on NHS workforce capacity has yet to be modelled.

aimWe modelled the impact of the APP role in Primary Care in terms of additional capacity to provide mental health care and the impact on General Practitioner (GP) capacity within the sector.

methodWorkforce experts of the NHS Workforce Repository and Planning Tool (WRaPT) team used a modelling tool to determine future state scenarios of APPs working across all Primary Care Networks (PCNs) within a region and the associated change on the baseline workforce. Modelling was based on Lancashire and South Cumbria, a large geographical area in North-West England that includes 41 PCNs. Assumptions used in the modelling included identifying the patient population and workforce in scope, documenting the activity undertaken by APPs, and considering the future state scenarios for modelling.

findingsWith regard to generating additional capacity, having 1 APP in each of the 41 PCNs in Lancashire and South Cumbria could provide 53 000 brief intervention appointments of 45 min each, thereby diverting these appointments away from the GP, and up to 48 people could benefit from attending Group and Well-being sessions over a year with 1 APP working with another Primary Care colleague, that is, 384 group intervention sessions delivered. In relation to GP capacity, 1 APP (if placed across a PCN, or within multiple practices) could free up at least 1,665 GP appointments within one year, which could lead to potential cost savings. These findings can be used to underpin decision-making with respect to training future cohorts of APPs and contribute to wider workforce planning in primary care.

Indexed as

Mental Health ServicesPrimary Health CareState MedicineEnglandGeneral PractitionersHumansAssociate psychological practitionergeneral practitionerimpactprimary careworkforce modelling

Identifiers

PMID39781614
PMCPMC11735113

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.