Primary Care Network (PCN)

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A Primary Care Network is a group of GP practices working together with other healthcare providers to deliver coordinated care to local populations.

What is a Primary Care Network (PCN)?

What is ?

Primary Care Networks (PCNs) were established in England in 2019 as part of the NHS Long Term Plan. They typically cover populations of 30,000-50,000 patients and bring together general practices with community services, social care, and other healthcare providers. PCNs aim to create more integrated local healthcare systems, provide a wider range of services to patients, share resources, and help address workload pressures in primary care. They represent a significant structural change in how primary care is organised and delivered across the NHS.

Primary Care Network (PCN) Best Practices

What is ?

  • Develop strong collaborative relationships between member practices and wider healthcare partners
  • Implement effective clinical governance and shared decision-making processes
  • Utilise Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) staff effectively to expand service capacity
  • Engage meaningfully with local communities to ensure services meet population needs
  • Establish clear data-sharing agreements while maintaining patient confidentiality

Use Primary Care Network (PCN) in a Sentence

What is ?

  1. Our local Primary Care Network has introduced a shared pharmacist who reviews medication for elderly patients across all member practices.
  2. The funding for extended hours services is now managed through the Primary Care Network rather than individual GP surgeries.
  3. Healthcare professionals from different disciplines meet monthly as part of the Primary Care Network's multidisciplinary team approach to complex care.
Frequently Asked Questions about
Primary Care Network (PCN)

What does Primary Care Network (PCN) mean?

A Primary Care Network (PCN) is a group of general practices working together with community, mental health, social care, pharmacy, hospital and voluntary services in their local area to provide more coordinated health and social care to their registered patients. Typically covering 30,000-50,000 patients, PCNs enable greater provision of proactive, personalised, coordinated and integrated health and social care, and represent a key building block of the NHS Long Term Plan.

How are Primary Care Networks funded in the UK?

Primary Care Networks are funded through the Directed Enhanced Service (DES) contract, which provides several funding streams. These include a core PCN payment of £1.50 per registered patient, Clinical Director funding, and the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) which funds new staff roles to expand service capacity. PCNs also receive funding for delivering specific services outlined in the Network Contract DES, such as enhanced health in care homes, structured medication reviews, and early cancer diagnosis initiatives.

What healthcare professionals work within a Primary Care Network?

Primary Care Networks employ a diverse range of healthcare professionals beyond GPs and practice nurses. Through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, PCNs can recruit clinical pharmacists, social prescribing link workers, physician associates, physiotherapists, paramedics, mental health practitioners, dietitians, podiatrists, occupational therapists, nursing associates, and health and wellbeing coaches. These additional roles help to expand service capacity, provide more specialised care, and reduce pressure on general practitioners while offering patients access to a wider range of health professionals.

How do Primary Care Networks benefit patients?

Primary Care Networks benefit patients in numerous ways. They provide enhanced accessibility through extended opening hours and a wider range of services closer to home. Patients with complex needs receive more coordinated care through multi-disciplinary teams working together. PCNs offer more personalised care through social prescribing and health coaching, addressing non-medical factors affecting health. They also focus on prevention and early intervention through structured medication reviews, enhanced health in care homes, and early cancer diagnosis initiatives, ultimately creating a more integrated, responsive local healthcare system.

What is the relationship between PCNs and Integrated Care Systems?

Primary Care Networks form an essential foundation within Integrated Care Systems (ICSs). While PCNs operate at a neighbourhood level (30,000-50,000 patients), ICSs work at a larger regional level across the NHS. PCNs feed into place-based partnerships within ICSs, enabling primary care's voice to be represented in system-wide planning and decision-making. This hierarchical structure allows for coordination between local needs and wider system priorities. PCNs essentially provide the primary care component of ICSs, ensuring general practice is properly integrated with hospitals, community services, mental health, and social care within a comprehensive system approach.

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