Primary Care Networks (PCNs)

PCNs are groups of general practices working closely together, with other primary and community care staff and health and care organisations, providing integrated services to their local populations.

YORLMC remains committed to PCNs and system integration as the only sustainable route for maintaining the resilience of General Practice going forward. YORLMC is convinced that the only way to attract sustainable funding and resource into primary care is via the changes agreed during the contract negotiations in February 2020, and by supporting the system to ensure that the investment promised is fully realised within our communities. 

The only significant route for the investment of funding into General Practice will be via the PCN DES, and as an LMC we need to ensure that all funding is invested as promised, as well as supporting Clinical Directors in their demanding roles. 

The COVID crisis has led to amendments to the agreed PCN DES and a different emphasis in the current year, some elements were advanced (such as the Care Home work) and some have been modified (such as the Quality Improvement requirements), we continue to work to support PCNs in delivering the new criteria, and these are under review on an ongoing basis. The recruitment of new roles is more important than ever to assist in supporting General Practice, and YORLMC will continue to support PCNs in this work.

Only through PCN and YORLMC close partnership working can we ensure that there is a unified voice for primary care; this will require clear lines of communication and understanding. The Chairs of YORLMC’s North Yorkshire and Bradford & Airedale LMC committees are also CDs. Consequently, they both have an intimate understanding of the day-to-day issues and challenges involved in being a CD and are the first points of contacts for PCNs – Dr Sally Tyrer for North Yorkshire and Dr Steve Patterson for Bradford & Airedale. Sally and Steve will liaise closely with Dr Brian McGregor who, as YORLMC’s Medical Secretary, will integrate the local information with contractual and national guidance from GPC and the BMA to ensure a solid link in communication from locality to ICS levels.