Primary care network support prospectus published by NHS England

In August 2019, NHS England and NHS Improvement published a primary care network (PCN) development support prospectus. It is aimed at primary care leads in sustainability and transformational partnerships (STPs), integrated care systems (ICSs), PCN directors and their wider community partners. 

Funding

Support funding of £43m was released in June 2019 to help development in 2019/2020. The funding has two purposes. It must be used for PCN development and a clinical director development programme in each STP/ICS. The additional funding is over and above the GP contract agreement and is only to be used for clinical director and PCN support. Funding should be used for freeing up clinical time, local transformational resource, support from NHS family bodies and commissioning support from providers and partners.

What’s in it?

There are two parts to the guidance, the first part sets out the parameters that STPs and ICSs should work within and a process to develop support programmes. The second part sets out key components that should be used as the basis of the support offer.

Aspirations for PCNs include: stabilised general practice; assistance with solving the capacity gap; becoming a platform for local NHS investment; dissolution of the gap between primary and community care and systematic implementation of the Long Term Plan (LTP) to include the seven new service specifications achieving clear positive and quantified impacts for people patients and the wider NHS.

By March 2020, it is expected that PCNs will be able to do the following: understand their own journey; function as a single team; be part of a network of PCNs; form MDTs and links with local communities; use their funding entitlement; have started one service improvement project; thought about their future estate needs and delivered new national service specifications.

PCN development support domains are set out in the prospectus and include organisational development and change; leadership development support; supporting collaborative working (MDTs); population health management; social prescribing and asset based community development and PCN set up support. 

Supporting the development of PCN clinical directors is a significant priority with the key components of a leadership and development support programme. Key characteristics likely to include providing strategic and clinical leadership for the network and supporting implementation of agreed service changes, fostering collaboration and developing relationships across the PCN, working closely with other network clinical directors, clinical leaders of the other health and social care providers local commissioners and local medical committees and representing the PCN within the wider ICS.

Key dates

Milestones include:

View the document

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This article was authored by Kate Barge