Birbeck Medical Group

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Eden Primary Care Network (PCN)

Our Primary Care Network (PCN)

The new GP contract was published in early 2019 as part of the Long Term Plan. A key element of the new contract is the development of Primary Care Networks (PCNs) which will bring GP practices together with other local services – such as community, mental health, social care and the voluntary sector to look after local populations.  PCNs will help to join up services at a local level, focusing on the specific needs of these local populations, with patients still accessing routine GP appointments as they do now.

What are PCNs?

PCNs build on current primary care services and enable greater provision of proactive, personalised, coordinated and more integrated health and social care. Clinicians describe this as a change from reactively providing appointments to proactively providing care for the people and communities they serve. Where emerging PCNs are in place in parts of the country, there are clear benefits for patients and clinicians. PCNs usually have a 30-50k population and are geographically contiguous (next to or touching another). All GP practices in the Eden Valley are expected to sign up to be a member of a PCN.  You can read the NHS England PCN FAQs here 

Watch a short animation that explains the concept of primary care networks (PCNs) and how this new way of working enables health and other services to work together to provide better access for patients.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W19DtEsc8Ys

What are we doing in the Eden Valley?

All ten practices have signed up to being a Primary Care Network (PCN) that covers all practice areas and the registered population of 54,000 patients in Eden.

Over the past three years the team have been managing the delivery of the Covid 19 vaccination programme, developing the vision of the PCN, networking with health, social care and third sector colleagues and developing new services whilst also recruiting and training new teams to mobilise the new services.

In November two of our new services and teams were recognised with an award;

LEARN Category Winner │ Integrated Community Ageing Team (iCAT)

The Integrated Community Ageing Team within Eden Primary Care Network (PCN) have developed a three-tier service in their PCN to support a more personalised care agenda and to help ensure equity of care across the population. They were nominated because of their commitment to compassionate patient centred care, and every one of the team has worked tirelessly to achieve their vision.

YouTube video

CONNECT Category Winner │ LINK Cumbria

LINK Cumbria is a children and young people’s social prescribing service, funded by Keswick and Solway and Eden PCNs. The team offer much-needed wellbeing support to young people aged 5-19 in north Cumbria, launching during lockdown in 2020.

YouTube video

 

Date published: 10th May, 2023
Date last updated: 10th May, 2023