The two Primary Care Networks which serve Gosport are joining forces today (April 1) – in a move which will make greater use of resources to improve patient services and could attract new GPs.
NHS Hampshire Southampton and Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has approved the proposed coming together of Gosport Central Primary Care Network (PCN) and Gosport West PCN as one organisation.
The new PCN will be called Gosport Central PCN, and Gosport West PCN will be closed. It will have a combined a patient list size of approximately 84,095 people.
For patients, the day-to-day operations at each practice will remain largely as before, including existing arrangements for contacting the surgery and making appointments.
GPs though are confident that some changes behind-the-scenes will help them to provide a better service and offer an even-wider range of health professionals to care for you when you need it.
Dr Robin Harlow, currently the lead doctor for Gosport Central, who will become Clinical Director for the new-enlarged PCN, said: “The PCN will work to continue to improve people’s health, designing services and roles to meet the local needs and challenges of our patient population.
“Working as one PCN will bring together all our team skills and strengths, experience and local knowledge, build on our success and strengthen our relationships with our colleagues at NHS Southern Health Foundation Trust, Gosport Borough Council, our local schools and voluntary services, which will in turn strengthen our resilience and improve the care we provide across our services.
“Our two PCNs have much in common, quite apart from the obvious geography of both being on the Gosport peninsula. They face the same challenges and have similar priorities to tackle them. Having just one Primary Care Network instead of two will allow us to move in the same direction, with the same agenda, at the same time for every patient in Gosport.
“Importantly, with all the pressures on primary care at present, we very much hope that by working together at scale it may attract new staff who enjoy innovation as well as see a reduction in staff movement between GP practices in Gosport.
“We have a well-established team of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, first contact practitioners and health and wellbeing coaches, there is a clear vision to support addressing existing health inequalities and working to improve health outcomes for the patient population, a firmly established enhanced care home team with weekly ward rounds by a multi-disciplinary team as well as community projects and close working with Gosport Voluntary Action.”
Dr Harlow said the PCN will work to support the delivery of seven nationally defined service specifications:
- Structured Medication Reviews
- Enhanced Health in Care Homes
- Anticipatory Care
- Personalised Care
- Supporting Early Cancer Diagnosis
- Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Diagnosis
- Tackling Neighbourhood Inequalities.
Both existing Gosport PCNs were created in 2019.
At present, Gosport Central PCN comprises the Willow Group – Brune, Stoke Road, Forton and Waterside medical centres and approximately 36,512 patients.
Gosport West PCN comprises the following networked GP Practices with a combined 47,583 patients:
- Bridgemary Medical Centre (8,898 patient list size)
- Bury Road Surgery (4,534)
- Gosport Medical Centre (13,163)
- Rowner Health Centre (8,535)
- Solent View Medical Practice (12.453).