Primary Care Networks (PCNs)

Primary Care Networks (PCNs) are a key part of the NHS Long Term Plan, with all general practices now in a PCN network, and Health Care Partnerships being required to commit recurrent funding to develop and maintain them.

The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework settlement 2019/20 – 2023/34 has a mention of integration with PCNs included within transitional payments.

Under the plans, all general practices will be aligned to a PCN, covering 30,000-50,000 patients, with local Enhanced services funded by ICB and provided through the new network contracts (see below). The networks will provide the structure and funding for services to be developed locally, in response to the needs of the patients they serve. It is important that community pharmacy teams are fully involved in the work of their PCN. Further information on CPE website.

Primary Care Network mapping of community pharmacies is available.

Community Pharmacy PCN Mapping and PCN Integration Leads

GP Practices within Primary Care Network

 

Evaluation of PCN Pharmacist community pharmacy provider model

Community Pharmacy Integration Programme - Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

Hertfordshire and West Essex (HWE) Integrated Care Board (ICB) emailed all pharmacy contractors on Friday 15 September to launch the Community Pharmacy Integration programme in 2023/24 and 2024/25 between HWE ICB and the community pharmacy contractors in Hertfordshire and West Essex. This is applicable to all participating community pharmacy contractors (including distant selling pharmacies) operating within HWE ICB geographical boundaries.

The key objectives of the programme are to support the priorities identified with the HWE ICB Strategy and the Primary Care Strategic Delivery Plan 2023-2026 encouraging better integrated working of community pharmacy within primary care.

The email included a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that outlines the objectives of the programme and obligations of both parties to engage with this programme of work across the next 18 months from 1 October 2023. Each pharmacy premises that returns a completed MOU and completes the online declaration form agreeing the simple actions required will receive a one off payment of £1500 up front.

In order to sign up for the programme, community pharmacy contractors must complete the following actions by 11.59pm on Monday 30 October 2023:

  • Change information in the sections highlighted in yellow to details of the community pharmacy and signing the MOU document. Email a copy to hwetraininghub@nhs.net;
  • Complete the online declaration form by 
  • In order to facilitate payment, please can ensure that when you submit the MOU to the above email address to submit a copy of your bank statement header (without any transactional detail) in pdf format to include the following information: Sort code; Bank account number and Bank account name.

Any claims received after this date will not be processed.

If you are part of a group of pharmacies or own multiple pharmacies and would prefer to submit your declaration and MOU via your Head Office/owners once then please respond to this email (hwetraininghub@nhs.net) and they will work with you to facilitate this.

In the case of signing on behalf of multiple pharmacies, please undertake the following actions:

  • Sign one MOU (yellow areas should be updated with head office/owner details) but must include within the MOU an appendix that lists the pharmacy premises addresses and f codes that are included and email to hwetraininghub@nhs.net.
  • Bank statement header (without any transactional detail) in pdf format to include the following information: Sort code / Bank account number / Bank account name and email to hwetraininghub@nhs.net.
  • Complete one online declaration form with head office details but include all the ODS codes for all the pharmacies but put a dash/hyphen or n/a in the boxes where it states Details of Lead and Deputy Contact.
  • Email to hwetraininghub@nhs.net a list of all the community pharmacy premises with the details of a lead (name and email address) and a deputy (name and email address) as a minimum. If phone numbers can be included where appropriate/applicable that would be helpful.

If you have any questions, please contact HWE ICB via email: hwetraininghub@nhs.net.

HWE Community Pharmacy Intergration Leads

In Hertfordshire and West Essex (HWE) we want to do even more to have community pharmacies as full partners in Primary Care Networks. During April, May and June 2023 we invited community pharmacy professionals to put themselves forward as Community Pharmacy (CP) PCN Integration Leads. We have now successfully recruited all CP PCN Integration Leads to work two days a month (with the exception of August and December) across all 34 PCNs in Hertfordshire and West Essex (HWE) until early June 2024. 

We would strongly encourage all community pharmacies to engage positively with their PCN Integration Lead when approached. HWE ICB is currently in discussion with your LPC regarding non-recurrent funding to support every community pharmacy to engage and connect with their local PCN via the Community Pharmacy PCN Integration Lead.

Community Pharmacy PCN Integration Leads Roles and Responsibilities

Community Pharmacy PCN Integration Lead Introduction (hwetraininghub.org.uk)