Primary Care Networks – Update

Primary care networks enable the provision of proactive, accessible, coordinated and more integrated primary and community care improving outcomes for patients. They are formed around natural communities based on GP-registered lists, often serving populations of around 30,000 to 50,000. Networks are small enough to still provide the personal care valued by both patients and GPs, but large enough to have an impact through deeper collaboration between practices and others in the local health (community and primary care) and local social care systems and the voluntary sector.

Since April 2019, individual GP practices have been able to establish or join PCNs. A DES (directed enhanced service) supports the development of PCNs and covers a number of areas, including funding for the provision of additional workforce roles (ARRS roles that are increasing year on year) and services that the PCN will be required to provide.

They provide a platform for providers of care to be sustainable in the longer term. The PCNs allow for the retention of what constitutes the very best of how general practice and wider primary care currently operates, retaining and building on the national GMS contract and the partnership models in place while finding improved ways to deliver care that offer tangible benefits and improvements to patients, clinicians and the wider primary care team with the local population being the main driver for changes within services. Individual practices joining the network will retain their GMS or PMS contract, with the PCN DES being a contract to be delivered across the PCN in a collaborative fashion understanding that many practices have already been working collaboratively, sometimes as part of informal networks, on their own initiative.

Benefits

This web workshop will provide an update on the Primary Care Network DES and the delivery requirements within and also provide useful templates for the evaluation of PCN services. Delegates will be encouraged to share challenges, issues and concerns they may have – our facilitator will also share their experiences.

A workbook and guidance notes will be provided to support this web workshop – and delegates will receive a useful summary of the day with further notes on the key messages of the day. Certificates of attendance are awarded after the workshop.