Watling Street Network Primary Care Network

What is a Primary Care Network?

A Primary Care Network (PCN) is where like-minded practices come together to work together and provide some joined up services.

A PCN will generally oversee practice populations of between 30,000-70,000.While nationally there is a big push for practices to come together and provide joined up services there is no desire, intention or motivation to merge our practices but by networking we are able to benefit from creating and sharing extra services working in and with our practices.

The drive to network came of out the national Integrated Care System.

NHS organisations and local authorities in different parts of England have come together to develop 'place-based plans' for the future of health and care services in their area.

Milton Keynes is part of the BLMK ICS - BLMK means Bedford, Luton & Milton Keynes.

The Watling Street Network Primary Care Network

Introduction and Background

The Watling Street Network (WSN) is a Primary Care Network (PCN) of Practices within the current CCG area of Milton Keynes.

Purpose and scope

The purpose of the WSN is to design and commission services and health care pathways for the patients of our member practices where we find working together is better than working alone.

Further we will work together with back office functions where appropriate.

WSN is committed to working with the Local Authority and Public Health to reduce health inequalities across Milton Keynes.

Vision and Principles

We hold that cost effective health care commissioning arises from clinically led service design with direct involvement from each of our member practices, the patients they serve, the local specialists we refer to and the local council authority who are responsible for our patient’s social wellbeing.

We also hold that successful clinical outcomes can be promoted through peer led accountability amongst clinicians conducted in a constructive and educational manner.

Aims

To design, commission and monitor cost effective health care pathways to maximise measurable patient health outcomes.

To promote best practice through constructive, education-focused, peer support and accountability.

To involve all stakeholders including practices, patients, specialist providers and the local council authority in our commissioning intentions.