Primary Care Networks (PCNs) are groups of practices that collaborate locally, in partnership with community services, social care and other providers of health and care services. Funding comes from Directed Enhanced Service (DES) payments, which are an extension of the new core GP Contract. PCNs which cover 30,000-50,000 people are the building blocks for Integrated Care Systems (ICSs), which themselves cover a population of 1-3m. They will have wide-ranging contractual responsibilities and foster close cooperation on a variety of clinical and pathway issues.
April 2020 onwards
PCNs are contracted to deliver seven new national service specifications which cover 41 requirements that implement many of the primary and community care commitments in the long term plan.
The seven specifications are from April 2020:
1. Anticipatory care for high need patients with complex long-term conditions
2. Enhanced health support in care homes
3. Structured medications review and optimisation
4. Personalised care
5. Supporting early cancer diagnosis
And from April 2021:
6. CVD prevention and diagnosis
7. Tackling neighbourhood inequalities