How will PCNs work for patients?

New financial year, new contract – the rush to put QOF to bed is replaced by the rush to absorb the new implications of Primary Care Networks.

“Who do we want in our gang?”

Or is it, “Will anyone pick me?”

Anxieties from the school playground resurface.  I was never any good at ball sports.

Already there’s a deluge of advice from all kinds of bodies, leadership development offers, model contracts and so on.  Some of it is bound to be contradictory given the scale of change and I have to say a July start seems, er, courageous.  Then again delay to anticipated fundamental change seems to be in fashion, so we’ll see.

I have a different question:  how will PCNs work, from a patient’s perspective?  In simple terms, patient presents with a need, GP decides the need is best met with a shared network person or service.  How are they assigned, how long will they wait, who owns the case?

For the PCN, more questions arise.  How will they predict demand, by type and volume?  How will they manage capacity and measure performance?  How will they allocate resources fairly between members?

I would love to hear your views.  Please drop me an email with a few lines, or comment on the blog.  No promises, but we’ll try to help.

Harry Longman

PS  It has been a pleasure to work with our highly talented videographers this week, at a simply astonishing practice.  Very soon we’ll have the result, from prosperous Middle England.  It’s just so hard to cut several hours down to 3 minutes.

Meanwhile the same team has made a short, just over a minute, from the other end of the spectrum in multi-ethnic East London.  Before it goes out on social media your can sneak a look at Be More Barry.  Just lovely to brighten up your weekend.