6351 The canal project: linking together care for children in Birmingham – a pilot paediatric integrated care model

Objectives For decades, canals have been the pulsation and lifeblood of Birmingham; connecting people, bringing opportunity and change. The Canal Project seeks to do the same for the health and well-being of children in Birmingham, part of England's most deprived Integrated Care System.1 We aimed to provide timely advice and support management of children's health concerns, reducing the need for referrals to secondary care and long waiting times. Methods The Canal Project was launched in October 2022, following initial stakeholder meetings to brain-storm ideas with General Practitioners (GPs) from local Primary Care Networks (PCNs). Six General Paediatricians contributed; delivering weekly Canal Reviews (remote specialist advice understanding their systems, processes and pressures better. Early data analysis demonstrates reduced out-patient referrals from PCNs using the Canal Project (graph 1); note the 24% reduction when comparing July 2022 to July 2023 in a PCN using the Canal Project, vs no significant change in a PCN not using the Canal Project. We have also noticed an association with our Paediatric secondary care out-patient waiting time reducing since the launch of the Canal Project; median waiting time 27 weeks in September 2022 vs 8 weeks in September 2023. Conclusion The Canal Project has succeeded in providing timely advice and support to GPs and their patients. Early data analysis shows a reduction in referrals from PCNs using the Canal Project services compared to those not. It is too early to say if this improvement is due to the Canal Project alone; on-going data collection and review is needed to prove impact. Next phase plans involve building on stakeholder engagement and co-production with collaboration in the 'Powering Up' project.2 References P Dunn, C Fraser, S Williamson, H Alderwick, The Health Foundation: Integrated Care Systems: what do they look like?, June 2022. Q Community: 'Powering Up' : co-producing solutions to health inequality with young people, https://q.health.org.uk/idea/2023/powering-up-co-producing-solutions-to-health-inequality-with-young-people/.