The antisocial networks?

In the October issue of Pulse we assess how primary care networks are faring 18 months after they were set up.

It comes at a crucial juncture for PCNs as this month they will begin to deliver three new services in full – covering enhanced health in care homes, structured medication reviews and early cancer diagnosis.

We look at how far networks have been able to recruit additional clinical roles, how much of that recruitment funding – which should be passed on to PCNs for other work if it is not all spent on hiring staff – is still available and how clinical directors feel about the future of networks.

Practice closures continued in 2019 and our analysis of exclusive figures reveals the reasons why surgeries are still shutting, though not in such great numbers as in previous years.

Finally, the October issue also scrutinises the payments general practice received last year and show how the average practice actually earned less per patient in 2019/20 than it did in 2018/19.