What is a PCN and what do we do?
What is a Primary Care Network?
Primary Care Networks (PCN) offer a new way of organising care, bringing together all local health and care services in a local area to deliver more joined up care to local populations (usually covering around 50,000 people)
When fully developed, PCNs will include:
- GP services
- Pharmacies
- Community health services
- Mental health services
- Adult social care
- Voluntary organisations
NHS Long Term Plan
The majority of PCNs were set up in July 2019 as a response to the NHS Long Term Plan published in January 2019, which proposed a new way of delivering health and care services. It has been driven by the need to create a more joined-up, less fragmented approach to health and care, making it more personal and closer to where they live.
What can you expect from your PCN
Additional healthcare professionals are being recruited to work on behalf on Primary Care Networks. New roles include Advanced Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Pharmacists, Mental Health professionals and Social Prescribing Link Workers. By introducing a greater skill mix, local people will get more access to the support they need to keep people healthy and independent.
The ultimate aim is to deliver better health outcomes for the local population, as well as a reduction in health inequalities.
In the future, we will also see doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals working collectively to try to anticipate a patient’s needs, to avoid getting unwell in the first place. This will be part of a wider campaign to make people aware of the importance of taking better care of themselves to avoid future health issues.
Our Vision and Values
The Chelmer PCN is a formal alliance comprised of four practices:
Rivermead Gate Medical Centre
North Chelmsford Health Centre
Chelmer Village Surgery
Sutherland Lodge Surgery
We aim to achieve and deliver a range of services for our registered patients/local population. We see that by working together we can survive, adapt, evolve and improve together as general practices, which will have positive benefits for our patients, their families, our local community, and for our staff. This will be partly achieved through the introduction of new roles into primary care, which will allow us to ensure that our patients see the right person, at the right time, at a venue close to their home.
Our values: We value high quality and joined up locally based services as solutions to the pressures on care delivery locally. We wish to provide holistic care – ‘wrapped around the patient’.
Our aims: We are committed to working together as a formal network with one voice, sustaining and improving general practice, and trusting each other to provide the best services for our combined populations.
Our network: Together we can do more. We will adopt a facilitative approach by bringing our practices together to create mutual benefits.
Care Coordinators are part of your general practice team
They can help by:
- preparing you for upcoming conversations about your health and care
- monitoring your health and care needs and responding to any changes
- supporting you to understand and manage your care.
Talk to the reception team to find out more.
Health and Wellbeing Coaches
Health and Wellbeing Coaches are part of your general practice team
They can help by:
- providing coaching support to help you manage your condition
- working with you to identify your health and wellbeing goals
- signposting you to helpful resources and peer support groups.
Appointments
We’re here for you evenings and weekends.
To book appointments at these times, contact your GP practice.
Physiotherapists
Physiotherapists are part of your general practice team
They can help by:
- diagnosing and treating muscular and joint conditions
- advising on how to manage your condition
- referring you on to specialist services.
Pharmacy Technicians
Pharmacy Technicians are part of your general practice team
They can help by:
- showing you how to use your medicines
- supporting Clinical Pharmacists to review your existing medication
- advising you on your lifestyle choices.
Clinical Pharmacists
Clinical Pharmacists are part of your general practice team They can help by:
- reviewing your medicines
- agreeing and making changes to your prescriptions
- advising about medicines and possible side effects.
Paramedics
Paramedics are part of your general practice team They can help by:
- assessing and treating certain health conditions
- attending home visits
- ordering tests and interpreting results.