Announcement:

BMA collective action: our practice is open, patients should access our surgery as normal

OUR PRIMARY CARE NETWORK

PRIMARY CARE NETWORKS

By 2027 there will be 2 million more people in England aged over 75 than there were in 2017. We are focused on supporting our patients to live longer, manage their long-term conditions and live a healthy and fulfilling life, accessing the care and treatment they need from a multidisciplinary healthcare team.

However, often the healthcare system is fragmented and there are many organisations and clinicians involved which can be difficult for patients to navigate. Primary Care Networks (PCNs) have been launched this year as groups of practices serving patient populations of up to 50,000 joining forces to improve outcomes for patients through closer working between those organisations who provide local healthcare. Developing better-integrated care in the community will enable patients to see a wider range of health and care professionals to help keep them well and out of hospital.

ABOUT OUR PRIMARY CARE NETWORK

Our Primary Care Network was set up in July 2019 and mirrors the partnership of 3 practices made up of Brockwell, Lintonville and Wellway Medical Groups, supporting the health needs of 50,000 local patients. It is led by Clinical Director, Dr Aamir Munir.

Through working collaboratively, our PCN aims to implement a number of key projects which will make a difference locally, not only to the day-to-day working of our practices, but most importantly to the patients we serve.

We are developing our workforce and our patients will have access to a wider range of health and care professionals, as part of community teams. This includes GPs, nurses, physios, therapists, pharmacists and social care providers – each providing care that is tailored to your needs, is coordinated and accessible in your community.

Dr Aamir Munir said:

“There is already so much great work going on locally, both in our health and care services as well as our local communities that we are keen to build on. We will be prioritising integrated care, working closely with our colleagues in the community to develop services and hope to bring new services to patients that will make a difference to the care they receive”.

To help relieve the pressure on our GPs and expand our multidisciplinary team, we are developing new patient-focused roles, expanding our team of Clinical Pharmacists, Mental Health Practitioners, Social Prescribers and introducing a new Physician Associate role. These roles will work alongside our GPs in our practices. The Clinical Pharmacist can help with medication queries and see patients in the practice for medication reviews. The new Social Prescribing Link Worker will provide personalised care to patients, helping them source the most appropriate referral to improve their overall wellbeing.

Working as a network will also enable us to build new partnerships with our local voluntary sector organisations and we will develop this network over the next 5 years.

Northumbria Primary Care