PCN Resources | THC Primary Care

PRIMARY CARE NETWORK RESOURCES

You have a vision of what you want to achieve, but not necessarily the time, operational support or business know-how to get there. Without the required clinical leadership and management support in place, working at this level and developing your Primary Care Network (PCN) can be challenging, time-consuming and costly.

This page is dedicated to you, the busy PCN leader.

I’ve collated my top resources to share with you, all based on my experiences of setting up and working with

GP Federations, Training Hubs and Primary Care Networks.

WEBINARS, TRAINING & SUPPORT

For PCN Managers New to the Management Role

For Clinical Directors & PCN Leads

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The Role

of the Clinical Lead

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If you only have time to listen to one podcast, then listen to this! It's from my experiences of being a Network Manager.

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If you need help running and developing your PCN to free up your time to concentrate on leading, then we can help.

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EXPLORE THE PCN RESOURCE LIBRARY

7 platforms every Primary Care Network Manager should be subscribed to

There is so much to read, and with a 24-hour news cycle, the pace of information can be overwhelming. However, we do need to keep up with...

How To Stop 'Over Meeting' in your Primary Care Network

In our blog titled 4 Top Tips To Help You Implement The Directed Enhanced Service (DES) in Your Primary Care Network, I emphasised the...

The Ultimate Guide to Hiring Your Primary Care Network Manager

We have created the ultimate guide for Primary Care Network Clinical Directors to gain a better understanding of the PCN Manager role to...

4 Top Tips To Help You Implement The Directed Enhanced Service (DES) in Your Primary Care Network

I was recently contacted by a PCN Manager who shared that they were looking to become more effective in implementing the primary care...

An Introduction to Primary Care Network Finances (2022)

1. Who is this blog for? If you are a new Primary Care Network Clinical Director, whilst you do not have to know the technical process...

How to Negotiate your Primary Care Network Services (2022)

This blog is for Primary Care Networks that commission services on behalf of their network. You may commission your Federation to deliver...

Communicate the 22/23 PCN DES using this template

The 2022/23 Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service Update was released on 31st March 2022. The first job of the PCN Manager is to...

The 2022/23 Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service Update

AKA The 2022/23 Primary Care Network (PCN) DES Update What to focus on in Q1 As always, I write these updates with new PCN Managers and...

How to keep your Primary Care Network Manager

How not to lose your PCN Manager: Approach the role of your PCN Manager following these 5 guidelines for network success and retention of yo

The Role of the PCN Clinical Lead | A Checklist

We often refer to the role of the clinical lead on workstreams, but what does the role entail?

The Spring Primary Care Network Update (A summary of the GP Contract Arrangements 22/23)

With so much going on, it's hard to keep up. So here is our summary of the latest General Practice Contract Arrangements for 2022/23...

How to create your Primary Care Network Multi-Disciplinary Team Educational Session

Disclaimer: I take no credit for this and at the time of writing, I am the PCN Manager at Cranbrook PCN and provide line management to...

The Key to Effective Collaborative Leadership: The Self-Assessment

As primary care As network leaders, our role is also to re-enforce the common purpose, build trust and have contingencies up our sleeve.

Questions to aid your Primary Care Network (PCN) staff reviews and 1-2-1's

Many PCN Managers have line management responsibilities. If you are relatively new to line management, this short framework of questions...

What does a Primary Care Network Manager do?

...And how the role is evolving. I’m often asked, what does a Primary Care Network (PCN) Manager do? A network manager, in essence, is...

The Winter Primary Care Network Update

With so much going on, it's hard to keep up. So here is our compilation of the latest winter guidance and mandates required of Primary Care

Questions that will inform your next Primary Care Network Partnership

As a Primary Care Network develops, more and more relationships will be required. To be successful in your partnership the following areas a

Top tips for effective management of the Primary Care Network Impact and Investment Fund

The IIF is an incentive scheme for PCNs to come together to work to improve and enhance care for their patients. In 2020/2021 when the...

Questions to ask in your Primary Care Network Manager Job Interview

To help you to stand out in the interview here are ten, not so obvious, questions you may consider asking in your PCN Manager job interview.

What the NHS plan for improving access for patients means for Primary Care Networks

On 14th October, NHSE released “Our plan for improving access for patients and supporting general practice". If you are a new PCN Network...

The Primary Care Network Autumn Update

With so much going on, it's hard to keep up, so here is our compilation of the latest national guidance and directives required of...

PCN DES Updates and the Introduction of Management Funding

On the 23rd of August , NHS England and Improvement released their updated plans for 2021/22 and 2022/23. The documents can be found...

Returning from to work after a summer holiday | Top Tips

One thing to consider that is often overlooked is how to get back up to speed at work after a period of leave. Here are my top tips to help

The Benefits of having a Mastermind Group, Business Coach and Mentor

For those of you running your network, own business or in a leadership position, I strongly believe you have to proactively and

How to Create Effective Meetings

I was recently asked what my facilitation tips are for running an effective meeting. A lot of pre-meeting thought and addressing the basics

A Guide to Increasing Productivity

Productivity takes hard work and self-discipline. There is also no one size fits all but there are fundamentals that anyone can apply

Does your PCN have a plan?

Having worked with 13 PCNs, I know that PCNs spend a lot of time articulating their purpose and vision. However, they then fail to create an

What to do when a member of your PCN team wants to leave ( in 2 weeks!)

Even though you suspect things aren’t right, you resist addressing the situation and hope your team member, who clearly wants to leave,...

How to Carry Out a Communications Audit

We always need to be reminded that good and effective communication will make us money, will save us time, will improve our outcomes of...

The 6 Skill Sets of a Successful PCN Manager

The job of a Primary Care Network Manager requires a range of skills to be successful in their work. These are the 7 areas...

A Digital Tool for Social Prescribing

At any time, people are facing many different and varying degrees of social challenges in their lives. The 2020/21 lockdowns showed many...

Struggling with your new Primary Care Network employees?

Assess whether they GET IT, WANT IT and have the CAPACITY to do their job well. I’m sure you have all experienced a time when the people...

Key questions to gain more clarity in your PCN Manager role

When working with PCN Managers, I’ve found that there are common questions we need to address early on that help to create clarity in...

How to Embed a New Role When Working Virtually in your Primary Care Network

Many of you have been working virtually for months now, and while it may be beginning to feel ‘normal’, it hasn’t been without its...

Introducing New Roles to your PCN: The Practical Stuff

With the introduction of new roles to Primary Care Networks, there are many elements to consider and hopefully this list will support you...

What to ask in your PCN Manager Job Interview?

I have provided a getting started guide for newly appointed Primary Care Network (PCN) Managers, but what about those of you who are...

Getting Started - The Role of the Primary Care Network Manager (updated for 2022)

Whilst the role of the Primary Care Network Manager will vary from network to network, there is a repository of resources and key...

The Additional Role Reimbursement Scheme | Challenges and Some Potential Solutions

While the additional role reimbursement scheme provides a great opportunity to expand the primary care workforce, foster greater...

The Role of the Primary Care Network Manager

The Role A network manager, in essence, is there to build the business infrastructure of the Primary Care Network (PCN) working alongside...

How to introduce a new role into your Primary Care Network

Regardless of the circumstances, introducing a role into your primary care network can be both exciting and challenging. The aim of this...

What are you tolerating in your Primary Care Network?

As your primary care network continues to develop or limp along, asking yourself the question “what are we tolerating?" will either...

Support that is worth their weight in gold

For those of you leading a Primary Care Network, a GP Practice or leading a project or service, I firmly believe that it is essential to...

Network Fundamentals - Having the right people around the table

Having the right people involved from the beginning of a project, contract or service will give it the best chance of success. If the...

How to Overcome Objections in your Primary Care Network

This framework serves as a tool to help you rationalise any barriers you may encounter when developing your network and can help you...

Don’t Let Passive Agreement Hamper Your Progress

Convincing an audience that a strategy or a particular course of action is attractive without asking for their active agreement may seem...

3 Questions to answer before you hire your Primary Care Network Manager

This resource has been created to help support you hiring your first or next Network Manager. To get you started, you will need to answer...

A New Dawn, a New Day, a New Era for the Health Care Drive Thru

It is well documented that the pace of change in general practice has sky-rocketed due to remote working and practices embracing digital...

3 Not so easy but powerful steps to create trust in your Primary Care Network

I was recently speaking with a Primary Care Network (PCN) Clinical Director who shared that she was working on a new financial management...

How do you collaborate during a pandemic?

It goes without saying that, for us to work collaboratively, we have to feel as though we know, like and trust each other. But what do we...

A Quick Guide to Continuity Planning

Continuity planning is designed to provide guidance in preparation to manage a major incident or crisis and to proactively address the...

THE BUSINESS OF HEALTHCARE PODCAST

The Business of Healthcare Podcast is perfect for Primary Care Clinical Directors. Episodes are released on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Tuesday episodes provide practical advice from my experience and role as a Network Manager and business owner.

Thursday episodes interview a guest, who may be from a wide variety of businesses, are leaders in the healthcare space or both. They provide valuable insights to support the running of your Primary Care Network.

Listen here