Our five GP practices have joined forces to make sure every resident in our area can benefit from resilient, accessible, high quality healthcare both now and in the future. Our name for this is the Newcastle North Primary Care Network.
Although our practices still operate independently, we are now providing certain services together. This includes evening and weekend appointments, our Covid vaccination campaign and some services such as our ‘POD’.
It’s a new name for us but it’s really about providing you with the right services, by the right people, at the right time for many more years to come
Why were Primary Care Network’s (PCN’s) set-up?
In January 2019 NHS England published a 10 year plan for the NHS. It was designed to tackle three key issues:
- Limited funding – by working together we can achieve enough scale to pool our resources together in a way that cannot be achieved in isolation.
- Shortages of Clinical Staff, especially GPs – PCNs are a natural way for health services to become more integrated and supports the creation of new roles to adapt to the needs of Patients
- Growing pressures from an increasing and ageing population – PCN Clinical Directors will provide the strategic and clinical leadership to better shape health services to the needs of the local area.
What is a Primary Care Network?
A Primary Care Network (PCN) is a group of GP Practices working together, with local providers, community services, social care and the voluntary sector, to offer a more personalised and co-ordinated health service to the local population.
Primary care services provide the first point of contact in the healthcare system, acting as the ‘front door’ of the NHS.
We will be working alongside physiotherapists, clinical pharmacists, dietitians, social prescribers and physician’s assistants to deliver a holistic approach to healthcare, with a strong focus on prevention and personalised care.
What are the benefits of a PCN?
- Working together has allowed us to share resources in some areas. This has included the development of our prescription ordering direct (POD) service that can take requests for repeat prescriptions over the telephone, for more information click the link: Prescription Ordering Direct (POD) Service
- We have employed a range of shared PCN staff including:
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- our social prescriber, Margaret, connects people with community based support, building on what matters to that individual;
- our First Contact Practitioner Physiotherapist, Paul, acts as a first point of contact for new musculoskeletal conditions
- our PCN dietitian, Carrie, supports the weight management and IBS as well as linking in with our care home team to support nutritional needs in our care home residents
- We have developed a Clinical Pharmacy team consisting of three clinical pharmacists (Preksha, Zoe and Nataliya) and a pharmacy technician (Jenny). They support our cost effective prescribing, review complex medicine regimes and review long-term conditions. The clinical pharmacy team has also supported us to improve our prescribing safety and set up safer systems across the practices.
- Newcastle North PCN has also set up a Care Home Team, which includes a Physician Associate, Care Home Practitioner, the Clinical Pharmacists and dietitian. This team look after all of the care homes within the PCN. They provide both acute care and long-term condition reviews, developing personalised care plans with the residents and supporting the care home staff.
- We have an active and experience patient participation group which brings together representation from the PPG’s of the member practices. The PPG supports us to issue a bimonthly Newsletter with our latest developments which can be found here: NN PCN Newsletters
- We are actively working together on quality improvement activity- to date this has included end of life care, early cancer diagnosis and learning disabilities.
- We are starting to explore how to collaborate in the teaching and training of clinical and non-clinical staff across the PCN.
- Last, but definitely not least, we have worked in collaboration to deliver a success Covid vaccination campaign across our shared population
Which practices form the Newcastle North Primary Care Network?
The geographical area covered by our Network is the combined practice areas of Audley, Kidsgrove (H), Kidsgrove (R), Talke and Heathcote Street- these practice areas overlap and provide a single confluent geographical area.
Audley Health Centre
Church Street, Audley. ST7 8EW.
01782 276999
https://www.audleyhealthcentre.co.uk/
Heathcote Street Surgery
2 Heathcote Street, Chesterton. ST5 7EB
01782 561057
https://www.chestertonsurgery.co.uk/
Dr Harbidge and Partners
Kidsgrove Medical Centre, Kidsgrove. ST7 4AY
01782 831101
https://www.kidsgrovemedicalcentre.co.uk/
Dr Robinson and Partners
Kidsgrove Medical Centre, Kidsgrove. ST7 4AY
01782 777991
https://www.kidsgrovegps.co.uk/
Talke Surgery
High Street, Talke Pits. ST7 1QQ.
01782 783565
http://www.talkeclinic.nhs.uk/welcome,54230.htm
Patients will continue to be registered at their existing practice which will remain their main point of contact for their care.