All Change for the NHS!!!

Below is the latest information sent to the Steyning Patient Participation Group on changes that are in train for our local NHS. What these changes mean for the Steyning surgery we have yet to know.

Primary Care Networks – what are they all about?
Another acronym I’m afraid, this time PCN’s - Primary Care Networks.
 
The NHS Long-Term Plan sets out the future formation of Integrated Care Partnerships (ICPs) and Primary Care Networks (PCNs). Both represent a transformation of how health and care services will be provided and will also involve some commissioning changes at a more local level.
 
Integrated Care Partnerships will be alliances of NHS providers that work together alongside local authorities and the third sector to provide care for populations of around 250,000 to 500,000 people.
 
Primary Care Networks will involve GP practices and community teams working together to serve communities of around 30,000 to 50,000. They will involve multidisciplinary teams with a range of staff, such as GPs, pharmacists, district nurses, dementia workers, physiotherapists and social care and the voluntary sector workers. Individual practices will be expected to enter into a network contract and will have a single fund through which all network resources will flow.
 
It is recognised that the future of commissioning needs to focus on 'Population Health'. This is a term used to describe the health outcomes and needs of a defined group of people and involves having a focus on reducing variation and inequality of care for people living across an area.
 
To be able to commission for Population Health, there needs to be a joined-up approach between NHS organisations and partners. Collaboration with local authorities is particularly important as local government are responsible for public health spending and a wide range of services that influence people’s health. The NHS Long-Term plan states there will be more “blending (of) health and social care budgets where councils and CCGs agree this makes sense.”
 
As Commissioners, we need to look at how we can create a commissioning model that works best for our populations and also meets the expectations set out in the NHS Long-Term Plan. Locally, in Coastal West Sussex our GP practices are working together to establish their networks. They are agreeing their boundaries over the coming weeks and will submit their plans to the CCG, including who will be the Clinical Director for the PCN. This map then needs to be shared with NHS England by the end of May, for the PCNs to come into being in July 2019.
 
This is separate to the development of the Local Community Networks in Coastal West Sussex, which will still continue to bring together PCNs, community services, voluntary sector and the District and Borough councils as members to have a partnership approach to joining up services and improving care for their local community.