NHS Confederation response to PCN DES draft service specifications
With the amount of work involved in establishing PCNs, the limited time of clinical directors and the introduction of a new set of national requirements, the NHS Confederation fears the system will lose the commitment and goodwill of the GP profession.
Our response has taken into account the view of our networks such as NHS Clinical Commissioners and the Mental Health Network as well as the clinical directors and others involved with primary care networks (PCNs).
We strongly believe that this is an exciting time for primary care – to build on the progress made as through implementation of the GP Five Year Forward View; to build valuable local relationships that will underpin integrated pathways of care and to deliver a more holistic response to local health and care needs.
However, we fear that with the amount of work involved in establishing PCNs, the limited time of clinical directors and the introduction of a new set of national requirements, we will lose the commitment and goodwill of the GP profession. Until we have a solid base upon which PCNs have been founded, we will not achieve the ambitions set out in the NHS Long Term Plan.
The key themes we have identified in relation to the service specification are:
- local flexibilities
- time to develop relationships
- funding
- capacity
- recruitment and training challenges
- lack of clarity on support offers
- lack of reference to mental health.
Download the full response to find out more. You can also view the consultation responses submitted by NHS Clinical Commissioners and the Community Network.
