Primary Care Networks

Introduced a vision for greater collaboration between GP practices, and collaboration between practices and wider community: health services, hospitals and social care.

Introduced a voluntary Multispeciality Community Provider (MCP) contract to integrate general practice services with wider health care services. GPs were encouraged to work collectively to provide extended access.

 Announced the intention to ‘encourage’ practices to work together in networks of between 30,000 and 50,000 patients.

Primary Care Networks are formally announced as one of the key changes within the NHS 10 Year Plan. For first time, formal collaboration between practices would happen under a shared network agreement and with a shared income stream for the practices that belong to the same PCN.

The 2019/2020 GP Contract is designed to deliver the commitments made in the NHS 10 Year Plan. It includes details of what PCNs would be and what they might be expected to do.

The focus of the Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service 2019/20 is establishing networks. It includes details regarding how much money PCNs will receive and what exactly is expected from them.

Deadline for practices to organise themselves into PCNs, appoint a Clinical Director (CD) and submit their network agreement to their Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

Joining a PCN is not compulsory. However, a substantial proportion of the increased funding for General Pratice will now be channelled through PCNs instead of going directly to individual practices.

Brighter Birkenhead PCN is officially agreed and signed off by NHS England.

The practices that form Brighter Birkenhead GP Network are:

• Devaney Medical Centre
• Hamilton Medical Centre
• Claughton Medical Centre (Paxton)
• Riverside Surgery
• St Catherine’s Surgery
• The Villa Medical Centre
• Whetstone Medical Centre

Healthier South Wirral PCN is officially agreed and signed off by NHS England.

The practices that form Healthier South Wirral GP Network are:

• Spital Surgery
• Civic Medical Centre
• The Orchard Surgery
• Allport Surgery
• Eastham Group Practice
• Parkfield Medical Centre
• Sunlight Group Practice

Healthier West Wirral PCN is officially agreed and signed off by NHS England.

The practices that form Healthier West Wirral GP Network are:

• Commonfield Road Medical Centre
• Greasby Health Centre
• Heswall and Pensby Group Practice
• Marine Lake Medical Practice
• TG Medical Centre
• West Wirral Group Practice
• Upton Group Practice

Wallasey Wellbeing PCN is officially agreed and signed off by NHS England.

The practices that form Healthier Wallasey Wellbeing GP Network are:

• The Village Medical Centre
• Sommerville Medical Centre
• St. George’s Medical Centre
• Liscard Group Practice
• Manor Health Centre
• Central Park Medical Centre

• Clinical Pharmacist (70% ARRS)
• Social Prescribing Link Workers (100% ARRS)

Primary Care Wirral and Wirral’s Macmillan Community Wellbeing Project design an offer to provide PCNs in Wirral with social prescription services.

This includes streamlined access to local-based Macmillan Social Prescribing Link Workers, with enhanced skills around patient support, in particular those with long term conditions and cancer.

Primary Care Wirral and WUTH expand their partnership to provide Clinical Pharmacists in General Practice to include the Primary Care Network Clinical Pharmacist role.

This is a time and cost-effective solution for PCNslooking for Clinical Pharmacists who are already qualified from an accredited training pathway.

• Physician associates (70% ARRS)
• First contact physiotherapists (70% ARRS)
• First contact community paramedics (70% ARRS)

• Structured medicines review and optimisation
• Enhanced health in care homes
• Anticipatory care
• Personalised care
• Supporting early cancer diagnosis

Primary Care Wirral’s starts the supplying Healthier South Wirral, Brighter Birkenhead and Healthier West Wirral PCNs with the services of Clinical Pharmacists via its long-term partnership with WUTH.

Primary Care Wirral organises the recruitment, training and management of a new team of Wellbeing Practitioners (Social Prescribing Link Workers) for Healthier South Wirral, Wallasey Wellbeing and Brighter Birkenhead. 

Primary Care Wirral starts the recruitment, training and management of a new team of Health Coaches, for Healthier South Wirral and Healthier West Wirral.

Primary Care Wirral starts the recruitment, training and management of Learning Disability Care Coordinators, for Healthier South Wirral and Wallasey Wellbeing.

• Cardiovascular disease prevention and diagnosis
• Tackling neighbourhood inequalities

Primary Care Wirral starts the recruitment, training and management of Cancer Care Coordinators , for Brighter Birkenhead, Healthier South Wirral and Wallasey Wellbeing.