The benefits of these services working together are:
-
Longer opening hours
-
Sharing staff
-
Better access to specialist health professionals
-
Services closer to home
-
Ability to share information and technology
Primary Care Networks are an important building block of developing our current community services to support better delivery of hands-on, personalised, coordinated and more joined-up health and social care.
The creation of PCNs follows the release of new guidance from NHS England on 31 January 2019 to support the delivery of the NHS Long Term Plan. This guidance included significant changes to the GP contract, including the development of PCNs.
How Primary Care Networks were formed
CCGs were required to meet three key deadlines which were nationally mandated and set by NHS England:
-
All PCNs had to submit registration information to their CCG by 15 May 2019. Each PCN in Derby and Derbyshire achieved this deadline.
-
By 31 May 2019, CCGs had to confirm the network coverage and approve the variation to GMS PMS and APMS.
-
A PCN Application Review Panel for the CCG was established to review and agree PCN registration applications and provide subsequent assurance to relevant Committees.
The membership of the panel was as follows:
-
Director of Primary Care
-
Local Medical Committees
-
NHS England
-
Lay members
This panel was not a voting panel, and the ambition was to achieve a group consensus for each application based on the criteria stipulated within the guidance for PCNs.
A group consensus was achieved for each application.
The Panel was responsible for ensuring 100% population coverage of primary care networks. The requirement of NHS England for agreeing PCN applications was as follows:
“Each Primary Care Network must have a boundary that makes sense to: (a) its constituent practices;(b) to other community-based providers, who configure their teams accordingly; and (c) to its local community.”
On 1 July 2019, the Network Contract goes live across 100% of the country.


The Primary Care Networks
PCNs have formed across Derby and Derbyshire, 100% population coverage has been achieved and all member practices of the CCG have joined a Network.
Clinical directors
High Peak
- Dr Chris Harvey
- Dr Sophie Taylor
South Dales
- Dr Penelope Blackwell
- Dr Jamie Lewis
North East Derbyshire
- Dr Steve Rossi
South Hardwick
- Dr Dan Stinton
Belper
- Dr Helen Fenwick
- Dr Andrew Maronge
Greater Derby
- Dr Gillian Davidson
- Dr Niall McKay
Derby City North
- Dr Richard Crowson
- Dr Drew Smith
Derby City South
- Dr Riten Ruparelia
- Dr Eshan Peiris
North Derbyshire
- Dr Peter Scriven
Derbyshire Dales
- Dr Ed Oakley
Chesterfield and Dronfield
- Dr Upendra Bhatia
North Hardwick and Bolsover
- Dr Hazel McMurray
Alfreton, Ripley, Crich & Heanor (ARCH)
- Dr Nicholas Hall
- Dr Sess Sibanda
- Dr Justine Reid
Erewash
- Dr Duncan Gooch
- Dr Anthony Shanks
PCCO
- Dr Mahya Johnson
- Dr Sophie Harvey
Oakdale Park
- Dr Helen Hill
- Dr Simon Gregory
Swadlincote
- Dr Mark Rooney
- Rebecca Bromley
- Mrs Sue Clover