PCNs in 2024/25
GPs, PCNs, and many of their employees are becoming increasingly fidgety about the world from April 2024 – Will they become part of Neighbourhood Teams?
Neighbourhood Teams
As healthcare professionals, we are all slightly uncomfortable with uncertainty, and if the past is anything to go by, we probably won’t know the details about what is next for PCNs until well into the next financial year.
The mood music suggests that we don’t need to worry about whether the ARRS funding will be available; it’s who will control the pursestrings that are uncertain. Ben Gowland, in his insightful podcast, “The Future for PCNs,” suggests that the most likely scenario is an extension of the existing arrangements but that Community Trusts are looking enviably at the HCPs engaged via ARRS and the associated budgets that are attached to them.
Pharmacy 3.0
In a recent Blog Post, Medacy Managing Director Shaun Hockey talked about Pharmacy 3.0. Shaun thinks that Pharmacy professionals are just entering a golden age for Pharmacy, which is focused on patients and pharmacists themselves, rather than dominated by an obsession with buildings, i.e. pharmacies. Pharmacists have always worked at the heart of Neighbourhood Teams, so the mention of Neighbourhoods in the Fuller Stocktake and Labour’s recent Health Policy update suggests that pharmacists will be front and centre when it comes to the future of healthcare provision at a local level, whoever controls the ARRS roles linked budget.
Why Medacy Care.
Why do Medacy care, I hear you ask? Well, Medacy really cares about the patients we look after. Uncertainty tends to mean instability and, eventually, inertia. As always, there are many challenges for the NHS, and a period of inertia will make the challenges that much greater, and patients are generally the ones who bear the brunt.
ARRS roles have begun to transform Primary Care, but there is still a long way to go to realise their full potential. Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians can transform all medicine-related tasks within practices and PCNs, but the direction of travel seems to be to work and fund at Neighbourhood team levels. Prescription Hubs with management and clinical oversight from Pharmacy professionals would seem to be an obvious opportunity to use the full potential of clinical pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, and if you would like to discuss this and other opportunities to transform your medication-related processes, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Medacy on 01677 252201 or 07971 187921.
Clarity required ASAP
We need to avoid Inertia and all costs and should be accelerating the development of services at a PCN/Neighbourhood level for the benefit of the patients we all care so much about. GPs, PCNs and Independent Healthcare providers like Medacy would appreciate more clarity so we can all plan for the future.
