New to Practice Programme: Learning and Development

NHS Leadership Academy https://www.leadershipacademy.nhs.uk/programmes/

British Medical Association

One day courses for members: https://www.bma.org.uk/what-we-do/committees/committee-information/bma-leadership-programmes

Further course looking into diversity as a leader: https://www.bma.org.uk/what-we-do/committees/committee-information/bma-valuing-difference-programme

GMC

https://www.gmc-uk.org/ethical-guidance/ethical-guidance-for-doctors/leadership-and-management-for-all-doctors/about-this-guidance

NHS England

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/changes-to-the-general-medical-services-contract-for-2020-21/

NHS Digital

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/data-tools-and-services/data-services/general-practice-data-hub/quality-outcomes-framework-qof

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/data-tools-and-services

BMA

https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/gp-practices/funding-and-contracts/quality-and-outcomes-framework-qof

NHS Leadership Academy https://www.leadershipacademy.nhs.uk/programmes/

NHS England

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/online-consultations-implementation-toolkit-v1.1-updated.pdf

GMC

https://www.gmc-uk.org/ethical-guidance/learning-materials/remote-prescribing-high-level-principles

The Health Foundation

https://www.health.org.uk/about-the-health-foundation/get-involved/events/video-consultations-how-to-set-them-up-well-fast

PCN Information for Herts and West Essex

In the NHS Long Term Plan, PCNs become an essential building block of every Integrated Care System (ICS) and under the Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service (DES), general practice takes the leading role in every PCN. In Hertfordshire and West Essex ICS we view PCNs as fundamental to the foundation for delivery of the ICS Integrated Heath and Care Strategy and indeed the ICS primary care strategic framework.

NHS England and the BMA agreed through the annual GMS/PMS and Alternative Provider Medical Services (APMS) contract negotiations the development and rollout of PCNs. All primary medical services contractors (GP practices) were offered the opportunity to sign up to the Network Contract DES.

PCN services will be delivered in the local area by the GP practices and multidisciplinary teams employed by the network. They will be commissioned and funded by CCGs through the network.

Bringing new benefits to patients

The development of PCNs will mean that patients and the public will be able to access:

• Resilient high-quality care from local clinicians and health and care practitioners, with more services provided out of hospital and closer to home

• A more comprehensive and integrated set of services that anticipate rising demand and support higher levels of self-care

• Appropriate referrals and more ‘one-stop shop’ services where all of their needs can be met at the same time

• Different care models for different population groups (such as frail older persons, adults with complex needs, children) that are person-centred rather than disease-centred

Agreement of the PCNs

PCNs were required to submit an initial Network Agreement as part of the registration process for the Network Contract DES, with CCGs reviewing submissions to confirm network coverage to enable PCNs to commence from 1 July 2019. GPC England and NHS England are committed to 100% geographical coverage of the Network Contract DES by the ‘go live’ date. 

PCNs will typically serve populations of 30,000 to 50,000 - although CCGs have discretion to approve larger PCNs. Network Area must cover a boundary that makes sense to its: (a) constituent members (b) other community-based providers who configure their teams accordingly and (c) the local community, and would normally cover a geographically contiguous area.

Each PCN will be required to appoint a named accountable Clinical Director. The Clinical Director will be a practicing clinician (not necessarily a GP) from within the PCN area. The Clinical Director is accountable to the PCN members and will provide leadership for the PCN’s strategic plans, working with members to improve the quality and effectiveness of the network services, including non-GP provided services to the population.

Together, the Clinical Directors will play a critical role in shaping and supporting their Integrated Care System. They will help ensure the full engagement of primary care in developing and implementing local system plans to implement the NHS Long Term Plan.

PCNs from 2020/21 onwards

PCNs will increasingly need to work with other non-GP providers, as part of collaborative primary care networks, to offer personalised, coordinated health and care. The Network Agreement will need to be developed over 2019/20 and to be well developed by the beginning of 2020/21 to include collaboration between practices and other providers.

Seven national service specifications

The increase in investment under the agreement includes the introduction of seven specific national service specifications under the Network Contract DES focused on the specific NHS Long Term Plan goals for primary care, not already covered through the improvements to the Quality Outcome Framework (QOF), access and digital.

• Structured Medications Review and Optimisation

• Enhanced Health in Care Homes, to implement the vanguard model

• Anticipatory Care requirements for high need patients typically experiencing several long term conditions, joint with community services;

• Personalised Care, to implement the NHS Comprehensive Model

• Supporting Early Cancer Diagnosis

• CVD Prevention and Diagnosis from April 2021

• Tackling Neighbourhood Inequalities from April 2021

Investment and Impact Fund

The purpose of this fund is to help PCNs plan and achieve better performance against metrics in the network dashboard. From April 2020 PCNs will be asked to target achievement of system indicators such as: avoidable A&E; avoidance emergency admissions; timely hospital discharge; outpatient redesign and prescribing costs. The scheme will be overseen by the Integrated Care System (ICS). Networks will need to agree with their ICS how they spend any monies earned from the fund to improve local services.

Access

NHS England will work with stakeholders including the GPC to evolve and implement a single coherent access offer that PCNs will make, for both physical and digital services. This will deliver convenient appointments ‘in hours’, reduced duplication and better integration between settings such as 111, urgent treatment centres and general practice. This access review will start in 2019, for full implementation by 2021/22. By April 2021 the funding for the existing Extended Hours Access DES and for the wider CCG commissioned extended access service will fund a single, combined access offer as an integral part of the Network Contract DES, delivered to 100% of patients including through digital services like the NHS App.

Created: 15/01/2021

https://www.healthierfuture.org.uk/