Primary Care Networks were introduced into the NHS in England as part of the NHS Long Term Plan, published in January 2019. They gave GP practices the opportunity to join together to form networks, each with a collective population between 30,000 and 50,000 patients. The aim is to create fully integrated community-based health services through working together at scale; an all-encompassing ‘neighbourhood team', which comprises not just Doctors and Practice Nursing teams in General Practice but a broad range of staff such as Clinical Pharmacists, First Contact Physiotherapists and Care Coordinators, working together alongside social care and voluntary sector workers like Social Prescribing link workers and Health & Wellbeing Coaches.

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Over time the intention is that Primary Care Networks will be given contracts for the delivery of services which are specific to their practice population. This will enable PCNs to meet the specific health needs within their patient demographic. In the more immediate future however NHS England has also given them a suite of national service specifications to work on over the next two years.

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Kingston PCN is comprised of three GP Practices, specifically Fairhill Medical Practice, Kingston Health Centre and St Albans Medical Centre. Together we cover a population of 54,500 patients across the Royal Borough of Kingston. In total the PCN employs a team of 27 ARRS staff who are working in various roles across our member practices.