PCNs in Surrey & Sussex

Primary care networks (PCNs) are based on GP registered lists, typically serving natural communities of around 30,000 to 50,000.

Here are pharmacies in Sussex and Surrey area by A-Z and aligned to their PCN.

To find your pharmacy and PCN area/lead details, click here. (The PCN lead pharmacies are highlighted with stars). 

Community pharmacy’s role

PCNs, with community pharmacy on board, will be expected to:

• provide a wider range of primary care services to patients, involving a wider set of staff roles than might be feasible in individual primary care settings such as GP practices
• be the footprint around which integrated community-based teams will develop, and community and mental health services, will be expected to configure their services around
• think about the wider health of the local communities they serve, taking a proactive approach to managing population health and, from 2021/22, assessing the needs of their local population to identify people who would benefit from targeted, proactive support
• be focused on service delivery, rather than on the planning and funding of services, responsibility for which will remain with commissioners (public health and ICSs).

Community pharmacies need to work together with their Community Pharmacy PCN lead.

LPC members in Surrey and Sussex urge all contractors to:

• Proactively engage with your PCN lead, discuss how you wish to collaborate and aid your PCN lead in shaping engagement between community pharmacy and other healthcare professionals in the PCN.
• Consider how you can develop and enhance community pharmacy relationship with GP practices, what you can offer to help relieve pressures on primary care and feed this into your PCN lead as a single channel of engagement with the PCN.

The LPCs role in PCNs

Community pharmacies are at the heart of the communities they serve and are therefore best placed to get involved in discussions about the wider health of their patients and customers. LPC members don’t know the people who go into each pharmacy so our primary role is to help our contractors represent community pharmacy to their PCN. Look out for webinars, face-to-face meetings, checklists and briefing sheets, as required with our support developing as PCNs evolve and mature.

We will also take part in discussions at county and regional levels to represent contractors views and promote commissioning of pharmacy services to help meet the health objectives best suited to individual communities.

Supporting our PCN leads

Community Pharmacy Surrey and Sussex will support those representing community pharmacy at PCN meetings. The support provided will evolve as the PCN model grows but our aim is to:

• Act as a key point of contact for advice/support.
• Help with trouble shooting/problem solving.
• Act as a critical friend.
• Help with data interpretation/analysis.
• Provide updates and share relevant information about service opportunities, relevant national and ICB-wide priorities and policies and key sources of information.
• Communicate feedback (from meeting feedback forms/CRM Database) to all pharmacies within the PCN network.
• Share information between each PCN Lead so that we can learn from each other.
• Support you in helping your community in shaping its ideas for inclusion within your PCN plans.

The main point of contact is the CPSS Services Support and Development Lead.

This short animation from Pharmacy Complete explains more about PCNs and the future of pharmacy

More information

Resources

• CPE Guidance and resources to help community pharmacy get involved in PCNs
• See training and development
• More information about pharmaceutical services provider assurance