A new organisation has been launched to help reshape and improve primary care services in North Cumbria.

Primary Care Collaborative North Cumbria Limited has been formed by 18 shareholder member GP practices.

Four additional GP practices are also 'supportive' of the new entity and may join as shareholders in the future.

The collaborative aims to work closely with these shareholder practices and other partners in the health and care system.

This includes Primary Care Networks (PCNs), the North East & North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations, the local authority, the Local Medical Committee (LMC), NHS trusts, and wider system partners across the North East and North Cumbria region.

Robert Westgate, clinical director of the new collaborative, said: "There are over 200 GP federations and collaboratives in England many of them well established with a proven track record, so to be able to launch in North Cumbria with an initial 18 member practices is a really positive step.

"Working at scale allows us to build resilience in primary care, working more easily with partner organisations; protecting general practice and patient care.

"Forming a federation of GP practices is the start of a process to help rebuild high quality person centred primary care for the people of North Cumbria."

The launch follows an 18-month pilot project, Primary Care Services North Cumbria, which brought GPs together to 'share best practice', make sure funding opportunities were managed and utilised, and offer 'centralised communication and media support across North Cumbria'.

Samantha Gargett, who was the project manager for Primary Care Services North Cumbria and is now operations director in the new collaborative, said: "The pilot has really proved how much working together and having a unified voice for our patient population can enhance services and ensure we continually improve in the ever-changing and challenging landscape of primary care.

"I look forward to being able to take some of the lessons learnt during the pilot into the new entity and seeing it grow."

Celia Heasman, GP partner at Westcroft House Surgery, Egremont, and clinical director in the new collaborative, said: "We hope to be a strong voice advocating for the needs and interests of primary care providers and patients, it is crucial our voice is heard and working in a collaborative way will ensure this is the case."