Decision details

Dr Collison introduced the report (HWB9) which updated the Board on recent developments in forming Primary Care Networks (PCN) in Oxfordshire. Dr Riley gave a presentation which provided an overview of the key points; how the network would be set up in Oxfordshire; and how it would evolve.

Members of the Board were asked to receive the report for information and for their consideration. Comments and input from Board members to steer the direction of travel at this very early stage were invited.

Councillor Andrew McHugh declared an interest on account of his past employment as a GP primary care manager and also in relation to his involvement in setting up a NOxMed network (PML Federation – a collaborative group of GPs in north Oxfordshire). It was his view that contractual arrangements were needed to reduce barriers to GPs working together, for example in delivering services to nursing homes.

Louise Patten stated that each individual GP practice would retain their own contract. Groups of GPs within the PCNs would then hold additional contracts for the network. She added that the result would look almost like the healthy towns concept, with a much wider social cohesion. Dr Collison concurred, adding that the PCN had the potential to be very local in nature and to become a natural community, aligned with local leisure centres, schools, libraries etc. Moreover, patient engagement would be sought and community groups would be empowered to develop their own groups.

Stuart Bell reported that he had attended a workshop that morning on the future of integration of PCNs. The speed of developing PCNs to date had tended to focus attention on contracts, but now the emphasis could be on contributions from as many different organisations as possible, as these may have very valuable contributions to make.  He likened this to the Healthy Abingdon work. Yvonne Rees added that it could also join/link up with Health Place-shaping, and with the Growth Board, taking Oxfordshire as one large locality, with joined-up working. It was her view that proactive conversations needed to take place with members of this Health & Wellbeing Board, who had a significant part to play in this. To this end she proposed that this matter be brought to a future Board workshop.

Professor Smith added HWO’s support to this also, asking however that participants should ensure that it delivered benefits for the patients themselves. He believed that there was a need to understand how social prescribing could be delivered, and how it could be joined up with voluntary organisations, as practically as possible. Professor Smith also suggested that good use of the in-services training between GP and consultant level in the teaching hospital could be made.

Louise Patten responded that, to date there had been a registration process for PCNs, which had been very light touch, to ensure full coverage. She added that there was a need at the present time to concentrate on the delivery of all the outcomes that were currently being required to be delivered.

Val Messenger also reported that the Health Improvement Board was planning a social prescribing workshop, with the aim of learning from best practice.  

Dr Riley was thanked for the presentation.