Primary Care Network Support

An important area of core delivery on behalf of the four Primary Care Networks (PCNs) is the support team and back-office functions that we provide to help develop and grow the networks. We have a dedicated programme team that supports the PCNs and an internal team that provides a range of clinical, recruitment and administrative support functions.

The PCN Programme Team NPC has several key roles that support our four PCNs:

• Administrative function. This ranges from setting monthly meeting agendas and taking minutes to employment and financial commitments on behalf of the PCNs.
• NPC acts as the employer for staff working in practices through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS). This includes advertising, recruitment & interviewing, and managing the HR process.
• NPC holds contracts on behalf of the PCNs when they chose to employ staff through a third party. This provides practices and individual partnerships with a liability buffer and safety net that is not a national norm.
• NPC is the banker for the PCNs, holding the finances for each PCN and submitting all reimbursement claims for ARRS staff. In doing this, NPC enable PCNs to function effectively without one practice needed to take the financial or administrative burden or the risk of being the employer or contract holder for all member practices.
• NPC provides support with digesting and implementing national guidance and helping PCNs develop and innovate to meet the requirements as well as patient needs.
• NPC supports the practices on innovation and effectiveness. For example, working with the Mental Health Trust on shared employment of Mental Health nurses in line with practice and trust requirements, creating split posts with Clinical Pharmacists from the NNUH, allowing them to work part time in Primary Care and develop professionally.