Primary Care Networks (PCNs) are a key part of the NHS Long Term Plan, bringing general practices together to work at scale and focus on delivery, to provide a wider range of services to patients in a coordinated way across communities.

This includes social care, health, community and voluntary services and integrated advice and guidance services. The networks aim to easily integrate with the wider health and care system and improve the ability of practices to recruit and retain staff.

Watch a short animation below that explains the concept of PCNs and how this new way of working enables health and other services to work together to provide better access for patients. 

Primary Care Networks in the Vale of York

As of 1 July 2019, eight PCNs have successfully been formed in the Vale of York, all practices are included and there is a clinical director/s appointed for each of the Primary Care Networks.

The Primary Care Networks (PCNs) within the NHS Vale of York CCG are:

1. Priory Medical Group
2. Selby Town 
3. South Hambleton & Ryedale 
4. Tadcaster & Rural Selby 
5. West, Outer and North East York
6. York City Centre
7. York East
8. York Medical Group 

More information can be found on the NHS website

What will Primary Care Networks do?

PCNs aim to further improve access, availability and quality of primary care services to local people by:

• Increasing the number of healthcare staff working in and with GPs.
• Providing people with better access to a wider range of support for their needs.
• Developing community teams that support people in their own homes.
• Expanding services available in GP practices.

Overall, PCNs will support the development of proactive, personalised, coordinated and more integrated health and social care services.

PCNs are based on GP registered lists, typically serving communities of around 30,000 to 50,000.

A key feature of practices coming together, is introducing new roles into general practice which helps GPs focus their skills where they are most needed, such as diagnosing and treating patients. These roles include:

• Clinical pharmacists
• Social prescribing link workers or wellbeing link workers
• First contact physiotherapists
• Mental health practitioners
• Physician associates
• Urgent care practitioners
• Community paramedics
• Care coordinators
• Health and wellbeing coaches
• Dietitians 
• Occupational therapists
• Advanced nurse practitioners