The GP as a community anchor: Creating a culture of care outside the clinic

General Practice has always been the first point of contact for patients, but the role of GPs is evolving beyond the clinic walls. Today, GPs are not just providers of healthcare, they are community anchors who shape local health ecosystems, foster prevention, and lead the shift towards neighbourhood-based care.

Creating a culture of care on the highstreet

This change is not incidental. It is aligned with the NHS 10-Year Plan and its three major shifts:

1. From treatment to prevention – moving focus upstream to keep people healthier for longer.

2. From analogue to digital – embracing digital-first approaches that expand reach and efficiency.

3. From hospital to community – rebalancing services so care happens closer to home.

For Primary Care Networks (PCNs), Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), and Trusts, the opportunity is clear: positioning the GP as a trusted leader of community health is central to delivering the plan’s ambition.

Why GPs must be seen as community anchors

The term community anchor signals more than clinical leadership. It reflects the GP’s unique position at the intersection of health, trust, and local identity.

Unlike hospitals, which can feel distant or impersonal, GP practices are embedded in their communities. Patients recognise their GP as a consistent figure who understands not just their medical history, but their wider social context. This makes general practice a natural anchor for:

• Neighbourhood health centres – integrated models where GPs work alongside community organisations, local authorities, and voluntary services.

• Prevention and wellbeing initiatives – from lifestyle interventions to social prescribing.

• Public trust and confidence in the NHS – GPs remain the most trusted healthcare professionals in surveys, and this trust is an invaluable resource.

When leveraged correctly, this role transforms practices from being transactional care providers into community health leaders driving long-term wellbeing.

The NHS 10-Year Plan and the three shifts

The NHS 10-Year Plan provides a blueprint for change. Positioning GPs as community anchors is not just compatible with this agenda, it is essential to its delivery.

1. Treatment to Prevention: GPs as champions of proactive health

Prevention can’t succeed without strong community leadership. GPs are ideally placed to embed preventive health into everyday practice. Through health checks, patient education, and linking patients to social support, GPs can move the dial from reactive treatment to proactive wellbeing.

Social prescribing is a prime example. By connecting patients to exercise groups, mental health services, or nutrition programmes, GPs reinforce the principle that health is shaped as much outside the clinic as within it.

2. Analogue to Digital: Extending reach through innovation

Digital transformation strengthens the GP’s anchor role. From online consultations to wearable health tech, digital tools enable practices to engage more flexibly with patients and manage demand efficiently.

Importantly, digital does not replace the GP’s personal connection, it enhances it. A digitally confident practice can extend care to hard-to-reach groups, reduce waiting times, and gather real-time insights to inform population health strategies.

3. Hospital to Community: Neighbourhood care in action

The shift away from hospital-centric care requires strong local leadership. Neighbourhood Health Centres and PCNs depend on GPs to act as conveners, aligning services across physiotherapy, diagnostics, mental health, and community nursing.

This shift also addresses patient needs holistically. When a GP anchors neighbourhood services, patients experience seamless, integrated care that feels local and responsive rather than fragmented.

Building a culture of care beyond the clinic

Becoming a true community anchor requires more than structural change - it requires a cultural shift.

Reputation and trust

Reputation is the currency of modern healthcare. Practices must actively build and protect their standing as trusted community leaders. Public relations and communications strategies help GPs share success stories, highlight preventive initiatives, and show the community that the practice is more than a place for appointments, it’s a centre of wellbeing.

Engagement with stakeholders

To anchor a community, GPs need to be in constant dialogue with local partners: schools, employers, voluntary groups, and local government. Clear, consistent communication builds alignment and ensures that prevention, care, and digital transformation are not siloed but integrated into the community fabric.

Patient-centred care

Patients increasingly expect healthcare that is accessible, transparent, and personalised. GPs who foster this culture not only meet expectations but strengthen their community anchor role. Patient feedback, online reputation management, and proactive communications all help sustain this culture.

Practical steps for GPs to anchor communities

1. Define your practice’s vision – articulate your role in prevention, digital adoption, and community-based care.

2. Invest in communications – use websites, newsletters, and local media to highlight initiatives beyond clinical services.

3. Champion digital tools – promote digital-first access, wearables, and online platforms to extend patient reach.

4. Engage community partners – build partnerships with local authorities, schools, and charities to address wider determinants of health.

5. Measure and share impact – demonstrate outcomes in prevention, patient experience, and community wellbeing. This builds credibility with ICBs and funders.

Why communications matter more than ever

The GP’s role as a community anchor is as much about perception as function. Even the best services will fall short if the community is unaware of them. This is where PR and communications become essential.

• Reputation management ensures practices are seen as leaders, not just service providers.

• Strategic messaging helps GPs align their role with the NHS 10-Year Plan.

• Digital storytelling via social media, websites, and local media builds trust and visibility.

Grey Sergeant PR specialises in helping GPs and Primary Care Networks position themselves as community health leaders. Through reputation-building, stakeholder engagement, and communications strategies, we enable practices to embody the anchor role that the NHS 10-Year Plan requires.

Conclusion: The future of General Practice as a community anchor

The future of the NHS depends on strong neighbourhood-based care, prevention, and digital transformation. GPs sit at the heart of this change. By embracing the role of community anchor, practices can shape not only the health of individuals but the resilience of entire communities.

To achieve this, GPs must look beyond the clinic. They must create a culture of care that is proactive, digital, and community-centred - anchoring health and wellbeing where it matters most: close to home.

About the author

Michael O’Connor is a partner at Grey Sergeant, specialising in PR, communications, and engagement across the healthcare and non-profit sectors. Through his consultancy Grey Sergeant, he helps primary care networks, GP surgeries, and healthcare organisations define their brand, strengthen their reputation, and communicate with clarity. For more information, contact michael.oconnor@greysergeant.com