The Octopus

The communities served by our member Practices face a number of challenges.
For example:

• Westminster has a dense and diverse population, including the largest number of rough sleepers in London
• Resident neighbours might have different GPs within different Primary Care Networks (PCNs)
• Our statutory health and local authority services are under
  tremendous strain

During the COVID-19 pandemic, four PCNs and the wider Westminster community worked together to advise, treat and vaccinate local residents at speed. By taking a collaborative, joined-up approach through the Octopus programme, we can keep residents’ needs at the heart of the care we provide and help to solve health equity.

For healthcare professionals, the Octopus aims to make their working 
lives easier and more meaningful. The programme offers a safe space 
where participants can talk openly, meet new people and solve common
 problems together.

Its name was inspired by the Community Health and Wellbeing Worker (CHWW) role, which is a relatively new connector role that is already showing huge potential.

We also hold quarterly Octopus workshops where connectors and other frontline staff get together to share ideas and thinking. Rather than the usual PowerPoint slides and Excel spreadsheets, these sessions are high energy (they might involve yoga and group singing, for example) to keep everyone engaged and creatively inspired.

By collaborating this way, we hope to connect the dots between services and problem solve when we spot gaps in care or processes. We also use a common data platform to ensure the outcomes of the Octopus are tangible and provide a good return on investment.