‘Small enough to care, large enough to cope’, PCNs are based around populations of between 30,000 to 50,000 people.
Essentially, PCNs bring GP practices together with their community service partners to work at scale in order to:
There are currently five PCNs supporting local people across Herefordshire:
Supporting patients registered with: Ledbury Health Partnership, Nunwell Surgery, Colwall Surgery, Cradley Surgery
Supporting patients registered with Hereford Medical Group
Supporting patients registered with: Kington Medical Practice, Weobley Surgery, Mortimer Medical Practice, Ryeland Surgery, Tenbury Surgery
South and West Herefordshire PCN
Supporting patients registered with: Alton Street Surgery, Pendeen Surgery, Fownhope Medical Centre, Kingstone Surgery, Golden Valley Practice, Much Birch Surgery
Supporting patients registered with: Wargrave House Surgery, Belmont Medical Centre, Cantilupe Surgery
Taurus Healthcare plays a pivotal role in developing and supporting Herefordshire PCNs.
PCN Clinical Directors meet weekly with senior members of the Taurus Team, the Director of Primary Care for Herefordshire & Worcestershire NHS, and the Secretary of the Local Medical Committee. Together we form the Herefordshire General Practice Leadership Team.
Additional PCN Roles
The Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) enables additional workforce capacity to be built at Primary Care Network level. Examples of the roles currently being supported by Taurus Healthcare are shown below.
Care Coordinators offer a single point of contact to enable a joined up approach to the most effective patient care. They have many specialisms, for example Safeguarding Care Coordinator, Wellbeing Coordinator, Care Home Coordinator, so their exact role will vary from PCN to PCN.
Clinical Pharmacists aim to improve the value of and outcomes from medicines and consult with and treat patients directly. This includes providing extra help to manage long-term conditions, advice for those on multiple medicines and better access to health checks.
Dietitians work with patients to provide practical guidance on diet and nutrition. They aim to promote good health and prevent disease in individuals and communities.
First Contact Practitioner Paramedics support patients with home visits for minor illnesses and urgent care needs. They work closely with GPs to decide the most effective course of treatment for patients.
First Contact Practitioner Physiotherapists support patients who have musculoskeletal issues and problems. This can either be following a referral from the GP or independently following patient self-referral.
There are many factors that affect your health and wellbeing.
Health and Wellbeing Coaches work alongside other healthcare professionals in your surgery to identy what motivates you. They help find a way to help you make choices that improve your lifestyle.
Pharmacy Technicians are essential to the smooth running of practices. They undertake many functions and their exact duties will vary from surgery to surgery. Typical tasks include medicines reconciliations, responding to patients' queries about medicines-related topics and providing support to manage medicines budgets.
Physician Associates work alongside doctors and other healthcare professionals to provide medical care as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
Social Prescribers give patients access to non-medical support within their local communities in a personalised and flexible way. The service helps patients to take control of their lives and to focus on what matters to them.
Ensuring that residents in our care homes receive coordinated, patient-centred care. Each PCN has nursing, pharmacy and care coordination staff working in tandem with care home providers to oversee a joined-up approach to supporting our residents.
Wellbeing Occupational Therapists work with patients to manage changes in their health and independence.
They support some of the most vulnerable patients and their carers to optimise their health.